COVID-19 Business Closures, Firearms Dealers, and the Second Amendment

As the United States faces the spread of COVID-19, officials in many jurisdictions have ordered the closure of "non-essential" or "non-life-sustaining" businesses. These shut-down orders have differed, including in their treatment of gun dealers, with officials in several jurisdictions ordering gun dealers to cease operations. Do these closures unduly burden the public's ability to acquire firearms for self-defense during an emergency, raising serious questions under the Second Amendment? What about heightened background-check requirements that operate in tandem with gun store closures as a categorical bar to firearm purchases? In addition, some officials have made public statements suggesting hostility toward the firearms trade, and some closure orders appear to single out gun-related businesses for disfavored treatment, leaving open, for example, marijuana dispensaries and liquor stores.

As jurisdictions continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are poised to issue similar business closure orders and will face the decision whether those closures should apply to gun-related businesses. This teleforum call will address the potential Second Amendment implications of these exercises of emergency executive power.

Featuring:

Prof. Josh Blackman, Associate Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law Houston

Mr. Deepak Gupta, Founding Principal, Gupta Wessler PLLC


This call is open to the public - please dial 888-752-3232 to access the call.