Gun Ban Repeals

CHICAGO — Some communities have moved quickly to repeal handgun bans since the U.S. Supreme Court in June established an individual right to gun ownership, while others plan to defend their bans in court battles with the National Rifle Association. The NRA filed at least five lawsuits after a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling struck down a handgun ban in Washington, D.C., and said for the first time that the Constitution's Second Amendment gives individuals the right to keep guns at home for self-defense. Washington is a federal district, so the pending cases will determine whether the Supreme Court decision also applies to state and local governments, says Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president. The ruling was "the opening salvo of a step-by-step process to bring this freedom to citizens throughout the country," he says, and the NRA will "continue to force this issue into the courts."