Jonah mentioned Sen. Hatch’s bill to liberalize the district’s gun laws, which are the strictest in the nation. I was inclined to applaud Hatch, especially since I have had so many occasions to criticize him in the past. But then I talked to Bob Levy, who has been challenging D.C.’s gun laws in court. (I wrote about his efforts in May.) Levy sees Hatch’s bill as the NRA’s latest attempt to derail his lawsuit. The NRA seems to fear the prospect of a Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment. If the bill becomes law, Levy’s lawsuit becomes moot–and the Supreme Court loses the opportunity to weigh in.

Hatch’s bill comes after previous NRA attempts to stop Levy had failed. Levy finds the timing suspicious. “Why not wait for a court decision?” Levy asks. “The legislative option is always open.”