Democratic Gov. John Carney of Delaware made two gun bills official on Friday morning that will prevent individuals from concealed-carrying guns within 1,000 feet of school and entertainment property as well as polling locations, the governor’s office told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
House Bill 201 makes it illegal for anyone except police officers to conceal-carry in “Safe School and Recreation Zones,” while House Bill 202 prevents anyone except on-duty officers from carrying a gun at polling locations and live elections, according to the Delaware General Assembly website. The laws officially took effect after Carney signed the bills at the Delaware Public Archives building in Dover, according to WBOC news. (RELATED: Federal Judge Rules That Parts Of New Jersey Gun Law Are Unconstitutional)
Safe school and recreation zones are broadly defined and include privately-owned sports stadiums, vehicles owned or rented by college professors and private buildings used as recreation centers, as well as anywhere located within 1,000 feet of those areas, according to the Delaware State Code of Regulations.
The gun safety legislation that I signed this morning ensures that students and voters feel safe enough to participate in two of our most important institutions – our schools and our democracy. pic.twitter.com/h3f7V9J6VP
— Governor John Carney (@JohnCarneyDE) August 18, 2023
Carney claims the bills will prevent “violence by banning guns at schools and polling places,” according to the governor’s official website.
Republican state Sen. Dave Lawson said House Bill 201 is based on faulty logic and goes against the Second Amendment right to bear arms, according to Delaware Live.
“Law enforcement has a right to stop anyone if they believe there’s about to be a crime committed; they do not have to wait,” Lawson said, according to Delaware Live. “They can intercede and violence does not have to happen for them to take action, so this bill really has a false premise.”
Carney previously signed six gun laws in June 2022 that prohibit assault rifle sales in Delaware as well as the age Delaware citizens may purchase guns, among other regulations, according to a press release by the state. The laws took effect immediately after the ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision stating that Americans have the constitutional right to conceal carry for self defense outside of “sensitive locations,” according to the Legal Information Institute’s summary of the case.
A lawsuit by 20 states appealing the assault rifle ban as unconstitutional on the grounds of Bruen is currently wending its way through the court system, The Center Square reported.
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