The Wild, Wild Northeast

Just out of curiosity, I started looking at the restrictions that various states have placed on carrying concealed weapons. I found lists like this:

Texas:

Handguns and other weapons cannot be carried at schools or on school buses, at polling places, in courts and court offices, at racetracks, at secured airport areas or within 1,000 feet of the premises of an execution on the day of execution. The law also specifically prohibits handguns from businesses where alcohol is sold if more than half of their revenue is from the sale of alcohol for on premises consumption, and from locations where high school, college, or professional sporting events are taking place. You man not carry handguns in hospitals or nursing homes, amusement parks, places of worship or at government meeting if signs are posted prohibiting them. Businesses also may post signs prohibiting handguns on their premises based on criminal trespass laws.

A number of other states are similar, like Louisiana, which has this list of "thou shalt not carry a gun here":

* A law enforcement office, station, or building;
* A detention facility, prison, or jail;
* A courthouse or courtroom, provided that a judge may carry such a weapon in his own courtroom;
* A polling place;
* A meeting place of the governing authority of a political subdivision;
* The state capitol building;
* Any portion of an airport facility where the carrying of firearms is prohibited under federal law, except that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, if the firearm is encased for shipment, for the purpose of checking such firearm as lawful baggage;
* Any church, synagogue, mosque or similar place of worship;
* A parade or demonstration for which a permit is issued by a governmental entity;
* Any portion of the permitted area of an establishment that has been granted a Class A-General retail permit, as defined in Part II of Chapter 1 or Part II of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.
* Any school “firearm free zone” as defined in R.S. 14:95.6.

The provisions of R.S. 40:1379.3 (N) shall not limit the right of a property owner, lessee, or other lawful custodian to prohibit or restrict access of those persons possessing a concealed handgun pursuant to a permit issued under this Section. No individual to whom a concealed handgun permit is issued may carry such concealed handgun into the private residence of another without first receiving the consent of that person.

You'll find similar provisions for Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Wyoming and so on.

But then I took a look at the supposedly gun-phobic Northeast. The restrictions in New York, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire are very similar: You can't pack heat in courthouses and schools, and even those are qualified.

I think the reason is that in several of the Northeastern states, concealed carry permits have been around for a very long time. It's not a new thing, so there are not the bazillion stupid restrictions of the supposedly gun-friendly states.