A federal appeals court decided Thursday morning that Californians do not have a constitutional right to carry concealed firearms in public.

In a 7-4 decision, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said California counties may require people to provide a good reason for carrying a gun when applying for a concealed weapons permit.

The argument began in San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, which had required applicants to show “good reason” for why they needed a concealed weapons permit. A 3-judge panel struck down that policy in 2014 for being too restrictive of 2nd amendment rights, a decision appealed by state Attorney General Kamala Harris.

How do California gun owners and gun control advocates feel about the decision? Is carrying a gun in public for defense a constitutional right? How might this affect the pending gun control bills that passed the Assembly, and future gun control legislation?

Guests:

Julie Leftwich, Legal Director at the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in San Francisco

Brandon Combs, Founder and CEO of Firearms Policy Coalition and executive director of Calguns Foundation, a gun rights advocacy organization in California and one of the plaintiffs in the case