Following a federal court ruling that declared Washington, D.C.'s ban on the carry of firearms unconstitutional, the city is moving to adopt a new concealed carry law. The law will only allow citizens to carry firearms if the city decides its reason for doing so good enough, WJLA reported.
Residents of the nation's capital will be able to get licenses to carry concealed handguns outside the home, but only after they provide a specific reason for needing one, officials said Wednesday.
City officials say that applicants can be denied a carry permit for a wide range of reasons. The proposed system would effectively prevent most people from qualifying for a permit.
The District is seeking to let the police chief decide whether people have a reason to carry a concealed firearm, and officials said living in a high-crime neighborhood would not be a sufficient reason to obtain a permit. People who've received death threats or have been the victims of domestic violence are among those who could be granted permits.
"It has to be personalized. It has to be something specific," D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan said.
This permitting system, which was recently declared unconstitutional by a federal court in California, violates the federal judge's order that D.C. allow the carry of firearms, according to the lawyer who argued the case.
Alan Gura, an attorney for plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said the proposal did not comply with the judge's order.
"In America, the police don't determine what rights we have good reason to enjoy," Gura said. "You don't need a good reason to speak, to worship, to vote, or to carry a gun for self-defense."
DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson provided some insight into how limiting the new permitting system will be for the city of about 650,000.
Approximately 3,000 residents have registered handguns since the city’s near-total ban on gun ownership was overturned in 2008. Mr. Mendelson said he expects somewhere in the realm of "hundreds" of people might be able to get concealed carry permits under the proposed law.
"It’s not going to be a large number, and it’s not going to be soon," he said.