“The Supreme Court has made clear that the right to bear arms extends to the public square,
and this right is for all Americans,” said GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt.

Newsmax, February 13, 2024
Sandy Fitzgerald

The Gun Owners of America and the Gun Owners Foundation are challenging New York’s ban on out-of-state residents honoring out-of-state permits or being able to obtain a concealed carry permit and are representing several plaintiffs in nearby states.

One of those plaintiffs includes Newsmax TV host Carl Higbie, a Second Amendment advocate and former Navy SEAL.

The organizations have filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of New York to challenge the blanket ban, according to the GOA.

The organization pointed out that even though reciprocity laws are in place for other rights, such as operating motor vehicles with an out-of-state license, the right to bear arms in the state is not accessible to the 94% of Americans who are not residents. Further, New York is the only state where nonresidents are not permitted to keep and bear arms.

Higbie is a resident of nearby Connecticut.

“The State of New York and its cadre of anti-gun politicians have done everything in their power to weaken and outright ban the Second Amendment within their borders,” GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt said in a statement. “The Supreme Court has made clear that the right to bear arms extends to the public square, and this right is for all Americans, not just those who are residents of individual states.”

Sam Paredes, on behalf of the GOF board, added that New York is the only place nationally where out-of-state residents are barred from exercising their Second Amendment rights, “and there’s no doubt the anti-gun legislature in Albany purposely designed it this way. We’ve warned these politicians before and we’ll do it again, fall in line on the Second Amendment, or we will make you.”

Read more at Newsmax.com

The Daily Caller, February 6, 2024
by Brianna Lyman

A group of gun owners filed a lawsuit against New York over state laws that prohibit non-residents from obtaining a license to carry firearms in the state.

Under current state law, only residents of the Empire State may obtain a firearm license. The state does not have reciprocity, meaning it will not honor other state permits.

Gun Owners of America and Gun Owners Foundation filed a federal lawsuit Monday in the Northern District of New York challenging the ban. Among the plaintiffs include Newsmax’s Carl Higbie, who is listed as an individual plaintiff.

“The State of New York and its cadre of anti-gun politicians have done everything in their power to weaken and outright ban the Second Amendment within their borders,” Gun Owners of America’s Senior Vice President Erich Pratt said in a statement. “The Supreme Court has made clear that the right to bear arms extends to the public square, and this right is for all Americans, not just those who are residents of individual states.”

The lawsuit argues the state’s prohibition on non-residents applying for a gun permit to possess or carry firearms violates both the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. The lawsuit alleges the state allows “New Yorkers to exercise enumerated rights that are denied to (but are held by) all other Americans.”

“Second, New York does not honor the permit of any other state, a scheme that is plainly unconstitutional under Bruen, and which violates the constitutional requirement that New York grant Full Faith and Credit to the concealed carry permits issued by other states,” the lawsuit continues.

Read more at The Daily Caller