Judge Orders Massachusetts Gun Shops to Reopen, But Imposes Unfair Restrictions

Gun shops in Massachusetts are officially open after a federal judge found that state officials overstepped their bounds by ordering their businesses closed and deemed non-essential. 

U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock ordered gun shops to be opened and said Governor Charlie Baker’s order to close gun shops without an explanation of the reason created an “improper burden,” according to The Boston Globe.

The order comes with limitations, however, that some gun shop owners still find burdensome: limiting their customers to four per hour and all must have an appointment. They are required to practice social distancing, wear masks, and stay six feet apart, according to the order handed down last Thursday.

This is in contrast to how other retailers like Walmart are allowed to operate and this makes the gun shop owners upset.