By Scott Harvey
Paris – Texas State Representative for District 3 Mark Homer is applauding Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling of the highly controversial case of McDonald vs. Chicago. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that the Second Amendment applies to states and local governments, a major victory for millions of Americans who lawfully own and carry firearms.
"This ruling affirms Americans' fundamental right to keep and bear arms. We'll have to continue our fight at the state and local levels to protect our gun rights, but this ruling puts a wind at our backs that we've never enjoyed before. This is a gratifying decision that finally allows law-abiding gun owners a well-deserved sigh of relief."
In November, Homer joined a bipartisan group of state legislators from across the country by signing an amicus brief to the court urging that Chicago's highly restrictive gun law be overturned.
The brief supported a legal challenge by Otis McDonald, a community activist who lives in a high-crime Chicago neighborhood. McDonald's work to improve his neighborhood subjected him to violent threats from drug dealers, but City of Chicago ordinances prohibited him from obtaining a handgun to protect himself.
A copy of the brief can be found at: http://www.nraila.org/mvcoc/08-1521-tsac-state-legislators.pdf.
Homer was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1998. He represents the citizens of District 3, which include the counties of Lamar, Delta, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus and Red River.