Federal judge blocks California gun control law against firearms in public places

On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked a California law that would have banned the carrying of firearms in many public places, calling the legislation "sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment, and openly defiant of the Supreme Court."

According to Fox News, US District Judge Cormac Carney granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law, adding that it removes people’s ability to defend themselves and their families. 

The law was signed into law in September by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and was scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1. The legislation banned people from carrying concealed firearms in places such as public parks, playgrounds, and religious institutions, regardless if they have a concealed weapon carry permit or not.

Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, which sued to block the law, said in a statement, "California progressive politicians refuse to accept the Supreme Court’s mandate from the Bruen case and are trying every creative ploy they can imagine to get around it. The Court saw through the State’s gambit."

He added that if that law had gone into effect, permit holders "wouldn’t be able to drive across town without passing through a prohibited area and breaking the law."

Michel noted that Wednesday’s ruling makes Californian residents safer because it is a deterrent to criminals when law-abiding citizens can defend themselves.