Gun Rulings Open Way to Supreme Court Review
from The New York Times
A year ago, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision establishing the constitutional right of Americans to own guns. But the justices did not explain what the practical effect of that ruling would be on city and state gun laws. That left a large vacuum for the lower courts to fill. Supporters of gun rights filed a flurry of lawsuits to strike down local gun restrictions, and now federal appeals courts have begun weighing in on this divisive issue, using very different reasoning. More

State Attorneys General to Attorney General Holder: "No Semi-Auto Ban"
from NRA-ILA
Last week, the top law enforcement officials of nearly half the states, including Texas, signed a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, expressing their opposition to reinstatement of the federal ban on semi-automatic firearms. "We share the Obama Administration's commitment to reducing illegal drugs and violent crime within the United States. We also share your deep concern about drug cartel violence in Mexico. However, we do not believe that restricting law-abiding Americans' access to certain semi-automatic firearms will resolve any of these problems," the letter said. More

More Women Getting Gun Training
from NPR
Robin Boruta is a saleswoman and instructor. Tonight, she's teaching our ladies-only gun class. "We're seeing a lot more women take that next step, and kind of be brave about it," she says. "They're still a little unsure. They're still a little intimidated. But they want to be able to carry those guns." More

Sotomayor's Stance on Gun Rights Prompts Questions
from The Associated Press via The State
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor told a senator Thursday that she would follow a historic ruling affirming Americans' right to own guns for self-defense, but pro-gun activists said they still believe she'd work to limit gun rights if confirmed for the high court. More

The Second Amendment and the States
from Reason
Last year's landmark Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller definitively settled the fact that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right—as opposed to a collective one—to keep and bear arms. Yet that ruling applied only to the federal government (which oversees Washington, D.C.). Does the Second Amendment apply against state and local governments as well? More

Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen
from Outdoor Life
As the country continues to sweat through its worst financial crisis in 80 years, a lot of Americans, including outdoorsmen, are taking this opportunity to start fresh in a new location. If you count yourself among these ranks, and are thinking about pulling up stakes and settling down in a new town that provides a generally higher quality of life, you’ve come to the right place. Outdoor Life presents the 2nd Annual Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen. More