Pennsylvania gun stores will remain open on a limited basis after Democratic governor Tom Wolf reversed course on his emergency coronavirus shut-down order on Tuesday.
The governor will allow gun dealers to reopen their stores, but his order still severely restricts what they are allowed to do. The updated order says gun stores may only operate “to complete only the portions of a sale/transfer that must be conducted in-person under the law,” likely referring to the completion of a background check, which must be done in person.
The move comes as demand for firearms has surged in the wake of the pandemic, as a number of police departments, including Philadelphia’s, have announced they will no longer arrest people committing certain crimes. The Democrat amended the order just two days after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied an emergency request from Second Amendment activists challenging the gun store shutdown. Other states and localities are issuing orders similar to Wolf’s, but there has been no clear consensus among them on whether gun stores should be among the exempted businesses.
The order requires that stores must operate on an “individual appointment” basis and only “during limited hours.” Dealers must also “comply with social distancing, sanitization of applicable area between appointments, and other mitigation measures to protect its employees and the public,” according to the updated order. – READ MORE
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