Second Amendment » U.S. gun-rights group urges repeal of local firearm laws in conflict with state code.
An elected Holladay City Council member, Gunn for years has been an outspoken board member for the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah.
He wasn’t aware of the Second Amendment Foundation’s so-called pre-emption project (relying on state laws pre-empting local firearms restrictions) or its demand letter sent to the city attorney in his own community.
“The question I would pose to them is: ‘Do you really think it is in the public’s interest to eliminate these ordinances?’ ” Gunn said.
Pointing to the major legal victories of gun-rights advocates before the current U.S. Supreme Court, the retired attorney noted that most of those dealt with the right to keep a gun in one’s home for self-defense.
“So I’m a little surprised that Second Amendment folks are now expanding the scope of their attack to include guns in cemeteries and guns in parks. But maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Even so, Gunn said if Holladay does have any ordinances in conflict with state firearms law, “we probably will change them.”
Utah’s turn » Miko Tempski, the foundation’s general counsel, said Utah is the seventh state to undergo the city-by-city scrutiny of gun laws. Researchers found 49 ordinances that conflicted with state law.
Eight have responded so far to the letters that went out July 8 — Draper, Herriman, Ivins, Park City, Sandy, Utah County, West Point and West Valley City. All agreed to review their ordinances and some confirmed that they would remove the targeted provisions.
Sandy City Attorney Walter Miller promised prompt action, noting that the City Council’s “respect for the Second Amendment closely mirrors that of your organization.”
