Here's some welcome news for our customers who travel to the Bay State. A federal judge just shot down Massachusetts' attempt to get a Second Amendment Foundation lawsuit dismissed — and that's a big deal.
The SAF is challenging how Massachusetts handles carry permits for non-residents, and from what I hear from customers who've dealt with this, it's an absolute nightmare. Non-residents have to jump through hoops just to get a temporary LTC, then renew it EVERY SINGLE YEAR. And here's the kicker — folks are waiting three months or longer for an in-person interview just to start the process. Three months! Meanwhile, their rights are basically on hold.
As SAF's Bill Sack put it, Massachusetts makes carry permits available on paper but makes them practically impossible to maintain in reality. That's not how constitutional rights are supposed to work.
SAF founder Alan Gottlieb hit the nail on the head: "The Constitution doesn't know state lines, and neither do our rights." Exactly right. A right that you can only exercise if you happen to live on the right side of some bureaucratic boundary isn't really a right at all.
This lawsuit — Lawson v. Campbell — is asking the court to knock down these barriers and stop what SAF calls "constitutional violations" against non-residents. The Gun Owners Action League and several individuals are backing this case.
If the court agrees, this could set an important precedent. States shouldn't be able to bury your Second Amendment rights under mountains of paperwork and endless waiting periods just because you don't live there. Stay tuned — this one could go all the way.