Justices to decide on carrying guns at businesses

Several states prohibit firearms at private places that are open to the public.

- BY DAVID G. SAVAGE

The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether licensed gun owners have a right to carry their weapons at private places and businesses that are open to the public.

At issue are laws in California, Hawaii and three other states that generally prohibit carrying guns on public or private property that is open to the public.

Three years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that law-abiding gun owners had a 2nd Amendment right to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon when they leave home.

But the justices left open the question of whether states and cities could prohibit the carrying of guns in “sensitive places,” and if so, where.