NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee has joined a coalition of 25 states asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down Massachusetts’ firearm licensing requirements for nonresidents. At the center of the dispute is whether one state can effectively block lawful gun owners from exercising their Second Amendment rights once they cross state lines.
The Massachusetts Rule at Issue
Earlier this year, Massachusetts’ highest court ruled that its firearm restrictions apply to out-of-state visitors. The case involved New Hampshire residents who were charged with unlawfully carrying firearms in Massachusetts, even though the guns were purchased legally in their home state.
The court declared that “the Second Amendment right to bear arms is not absolute” and upheld the state’s licensing process for all persons within its borders.
The system requires nonresidents to apply for a Massachusetts license — a process critics say is “burdensome,” with waits up to 170 days and high fees. Visitors can face felony charges if they cross the border armed without the paperwork, even in areas where the line between states is blurry. The multistate filing cites the Pheasant Lane Mall, which straddles the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border, as an example. A lawful carrier on one side of the mall could become a felon by walking into a restaurant on the other side.
Click the link to read the whole article:: Tennessee Joins 24 States Court Fight Over Gun Law
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