New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a federal law that bans domestic violence abusers from owning guns, noting that it shows a “glimmer of hope” on the part of the justices.
Hochul joined MSNBC’s Alex Witt on Friday to discuss the high court ruling and his efforts to disarm abusers in New York state.
Witt asked Hochul if she was surprised that the justices upheld the law, given that the same conservative justices have struck down other gun-related measures.
“Actually, I was,” Hochul repliedlater adding that she was “not very optimistic about how they would feel about a case that logically, I admit, most Americans would say, ‘Why would domestic abusers be allowed to have a gun?’”
Hochul continued, noting that she was previously “unsure” how the Supreme Court would evaluate the case, but thinks “survivors across America are breathing a sigh of relief.
“And hopefully we can see a different shift in the Supreme Court in other decisions as well, as they realize how out of step they are in keeping Americans safe,” she said.
Hochul noted that her mother grew up in an abusive home, so the issue has been “deeply personal” for her. Hochul, the state’s first female governor, said she “got real results” with gun legislation.
“More than 30,000 guns are now out of the hands of potential abusers, attackers or murderers as a result of what we are doing here in New York,” she said.
Hochul continued, arguing that the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case is “a small glimmer of hope from the Supreme Court, and hopefully this indicates a change in its attitudes about people’s rights to be safe.”
The Supreme Court’s decision is favorable to President Biden’s Justice Department, which appealed to the high court to uphold the law after a lower court ruled it was unconstitutional.
The original case revolved around Zackey Rahimi, who was placed under a restraining order after dragging his girlfriend, who is the mother of his child, into a parking lot and trying to shoot a witness. Rahimi later participated in five shootings and was charged with gun possession after police found two in his home.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
