New York lawmakers plan to vote on legislation seeking to limit the proliferation of firearms in public after the Supreme Court gutted the state's century-old handgun licensing law.
The state is overhauling its rules for carrying guns after the court decided that ordinary citizens had a right to arm themselves in public for self-defense, something the state limited in the past mostly to people working in law enforcement or security.
New rules being rushed through an emergency session of the Legislature would allow many more gun owners to apply for a license to carry a concealed weapon, but would seek to set new restrictions on where firearms can be carried.
One provision, proposed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, would ban people from carrying firearms into places of business unless owners put up signage saying guns are welcome.
New York would be the first state to pass such a rule, according to David Pucino, deputy chief counsel at Giffords Law Center. In states where carrying guns is more common, businesses that want to keep guns out are usually required to post signs indicating weapons aren't allowed.
New York would also set new requirements for obtaining a handgun permit, including mandating 15 hours of in-person fire range training.