A proposal by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) to allow residents of other states with conceal carry permits to similarly carry concealed weapons in the District failed today in a surprising 24-3-1 vote, with a large number of Republicans siding with Democrats in opposition. more ›

It looks like Virginia's gunnin' for a fight -- pun intended. more ›

The Supreme Court has announced that it will take on Heller v. District of Columbia, the D.C. handgun case, and decide whether our city's ban on handguns violates the Constitution. The Court will likely hear the case sometime in March, with a decision to come later in the session. The case will mark the first time the Court has taken up the meaning of the Second Amendment in almost 70 years, and the decision could... more ›

...ummm, nothing yet. According to the Associated Press, the Supreme Court failed to reach a decision on whether or not to hear a case related to the District's gun laws. Though a verdict from last week's conference discussion was possible today, it seems that the nine justices haven't yet decided if they want to take the case, which stems from a March decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Circuit that ruled... more ›

In the coming weeks District officials will find out whether a Court of Appeals decision that found the city's gun laws unconstitutional will stand or whether the U.S. Supreme Court will take up Mayor Adrian Fenty's appeal. According to SCOTUSBlog, the justices of the Supreme Court will debate whether or not to take the case on November 9. Should they choose to, the two sides would argue before the court in February or March; otherwise,... more ›

Mayor Adrian Fenty has announced the city has formally filed an appeal to the Supreme Court in the hopes that it will overturn a March decision in which a lower court found that the District's ban on handguns was unconstitutional. Though the appeal has been a month in the making, Fenty and D.C. Attorney General Linda Singer today explained their reasoning in an op-ed published in the Post. In it, they reject the individual right... more ›

This morning Mayor Adrian Fenty announced that he would appeal a March ruling that found that the District's handgun law was unconstitutional to the U.S. Supreme Court. His decision sets up the first major battle in decades over whether the Second Amendment confers an individual or collective right to own a handgun. Moreover, it could have a profound effect on gun regulations across the country should the Supreme Court side with the lower court. The... more ›

Mayor Adrian Fenty has had a pretty easy run so far. Spare a recent brush-up over some lifted school reform plans, Fenty's first five months in office have proven that he's dedicated, energetic and well-liked. But the recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Circuit deeming the city's restrictive gun laws unconstitutional has dumped a load of pressure and expectations on Fenty -- both locally and nationally. As the Post reported... more ›

When in early March the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the District's restrictive gun laws were unconstitutional, over 70 years of legal thinking on the Second Amendement was upended and the nationwide debate over gun control was given new life. And with another decision by the court today, it looks like the matter will be settled by the Supreme Court. more ›

Last time we live blogged the House debate on District voting rights, things didn't go too well. We're hoping for a bit of an improvement today. From what we've heard on the Hill, debate kicks off at 10:30 a.m., and the legislation has been split up into two separate parts -- one covering the actual voting seats both D.C. and Utah would receive and the other dealing with the minor increase in annual spending the... more ›

Today Mayor Adrian Fenty formally announced he's appealing the U.S. Appellate Court's decision to overturn the city's restrictive handgun laws. The statutes, on the books for over 30 years, severely limit firearms ownership, a policy the court said violates the Second Amendment. Fenty's appeal comes as no surprise. Though we found mixed reactions in early March, most D.C. officials support the ban. The mayor's case will first be reheard in the Court of Appeals, but... more ›

Good morning, Washington. How about this weather, huh? We couldn't believe our ears when we heard some friends complaining about the warmth yesterday. "Sure, it's nice," they said, "But isn't it a little early to be this nice?" Bah! Well, take solace, warmthophobes: it'll be cooling down to the more April-appropriate sixty degree range soon enough. Webb Denies Giving Gun To Aide: Details regarding Webb aide Phillip Thompson and the gun he brought to the... more ›

Last week's ruling by a U.S. Court of Appeals that the District's restrictive gun law is unconstitutional has had the expected impact -- battle lines have been drawn, and activists on either side defend the decision as a step forward for personal freedom and self defense or deride it as a reckless move that could increase violence in an already violent city. The Post jumped on the decision first, publishing an editorial condemning it the... more ›

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. The timing was impeccable. On Friday morning, newspapers across the country ran versions of a story highlighting increases in violent crime in cities nationwide -- but not, as it turned out, in Washington, where for over a decade crime has trended in one direction only. Hours later, the D.C. Circuit lowered its boom on behalf of six gun-desiring Washingtonians and the libertarian... more ›

The District's restrictive gun laws have long been hated by Second Amendment activists everywhere, who have tried pretty much everything, including near-annual congressional legislation, to overturn them. Today might be their day, though -- the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has found that the District's gun restrictions are unconstitutional. In a decision published today, the court wrote that the District's restrictions on gun ownership, which date back to 1976, unconstitutionally infringe upon... more ›

New legislative excitement from Richmond! The Post reports that the Virginia General Assembly is considering a bill that has raised the ire of gun-rights advocates accusing proponents of a hunting-blood alcohol level clarification measure of trying to limit their Second Amendment protections. From the Post: ... Senate Bill 1149 further clarifies the state code so that a hunter who had a blood alcohol content of .02 would be guilty of a misdemeanor. That's tougher than... more ›

Budget Passed: D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton tells the Post that she appreciates the House and Senate for passing D.C.'s 2005 budget without any new social riders. But D.C. officials tell the Post that a prohibition on District tax dollars being used for abortions for low-income women remains in place. more ›