US appeals court allows California to bar guns in most public places

A federal appeals court on Saturday cleared the way for a California law that bans the carrying of guns in most public places to take effect at the start of 2024, as the panel put on hold a judge's ruling declaring the measure unconstitutional. Circuit Court of Appeals suspended a Dec. 20 injunction issued by a judge who concluded the Democratic-led state's law violated the right of citizens to keep and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment. "This ruling will allow California's common-sense gun laws to remain in place while we appeal the district court's dangerous ruling," California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement. The law, Senate Bill 2, also barred people from having concealed guns at privately owned commercial establishments that are open to the public, unless the business's operator posts a sign allowing license holders to carry guns on their property. A federal appeals court on Dec. 8 ruledthat New York state could bar gun owners from carrying weapons in many "sensitive locations" including parks, zoos, bars and theaters.