NRA Sues States Over Gun Store Closures Amid CCP Virus Outbreak

Texas Town Orders Residents to Wear Masks or Face $1,000 Fine

Authorities in a South Texas border town said that anyone aged 5 and above not wearing a mask in a range of settings like pumping gas or going into a store could be fined up to $1,000. The Laredo City Council said in a press release Wednesday that, starting Thursday, people “entering into or inside of any building open to the public; when using public transportation, taxis, or ride shares; or when pumping gas,” would have to don masks. Authorities said people would be required to wear “some form of covering over their nose and mouth,” with homemade masks, scarfs, bandanas, or handkerchiefs all considered acceptable. Violation of the new rule will be considered a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000. The move comes as another 26,000 Americans…

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has sued the governors of New York and California for deeming gun stores as “non-essential” and requiring them to close as part of state measures to control the spread of the CCP virus.

The gun rights association filed its latest lawsuit against New York on Thursday alleging that its governor Andrew Cuomo’s order to suspend the operations of gun stores by not designating them as “essential businesses” is in violation of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

New York has become the epicenter for the outbreak in the United States, with over 2,900 deaths and 102,000 cases across the state, according to Cuomo during a news conference on Friday.

Cuomo’s order, signed on March 20, requires all non-essential businesses to close through April 19. Businesses or services deemed “essential” such as grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, and laundromats are not subject to the order. Any businesses not in compliance with the order would face fines.

The complaint (pdf) calls the order a “pointless and arbitrary attack on the constitutional rights of New York citizens and residents.” The lawsuit states that firearms are essential to public safety and security “especially during a time when many New Yorkers have valid concerns about the ability of the government to maintain order—and criminals are being prematurely released from jails.”

NRA Sues States Over Gun Store Closures Amid CCP Virus Outbreak

It also cited a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidance that lists workers of firearm manufacturers and retailers as critical infrastructure to justify its claims.

Following the DHS guidance, New Jersey reversed its earlier position that deemed gun stores non-essential in order to comply with the federal government’s advice.

“In accordance with the guidance released over the weekend by the federal Department of Homeland Security, we will allow firearms retailers to operate by appointment only and during limited hours to conduct business which, under law, must be done in person,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said during a media briefing on Monday.

Wayne LaPierre, NRA CEO and executive vice president, said that the lawsuit aims to protect the Second Amendment freedoms for New Yorkers.

“There isn’t a single person who has ever used a gun for self-defense who would consider it nonessential,” Wayne LaPierre, NRA CEO & Executive Vice President, said in a statement.

The New York suit follows a similar suit (pdf) filed by the NRA and several pro-gun groups in California last week against its governor, Gavin Newsom, who also deemed gun stores non-essential in a stay-at-home order.

The New York governor’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Feds Distribute Thousands of Masks, Gloves Seized From Hoarders to Healthcare Workers

The Justice Department (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Thursday that more than half a million boxes of medical supplies, including N95 respirator masks, that were seized from a price gouger have been distributed to healthcare workers combating the CCP virus. The supplies were discovered by the FBI during an enforcement operation on March 30, the department said. They include about 192,000 N95 respirator masks, 598,000 medical grade gloves, and 130,000 surgical masks, procedure masks, N100 masks, surgical gowns, disinfectant towels, particulate filters, bottles of hand sanitizer, and bottles of spray disinfectant. HHS used its power under the Defense Production Act to order that the supplies be immediately given to the federal government. The owner of the hoarded supplies will be paid pre-pandemic fair market value for the…