Swordsmyth
08-28-2017, 08:38 PM
For more than a decade and a half, Los Angeles has banned the sale of “ultracompact” guns, which lawmakers feared could be more easily hidden by criminals.
Now the city is poised to eliminate that rule in the face of legal warnings from the National Rifle Assn. (http://www.latimes.com/topic/crime-law-justice/national-rifle-association-of-america-ORCIG000080-topic.html) and the California Rifle & Pistol Assn., which say that the city restrictions have been preempted by state law.
L.A.’s longstanding ban prohibits firearm dealers in the city from selling smaller guns that measure up to 6.75 inches in length and 4.5 inches in height, as well as holsters to carry them.
It also requires dealers to keep records of any sales of ultracompact guns to police officers and other buyers who are not covered by the ban.
Banning sales of ultracompact guns was championed by gun control groups such as Women Against Gun Violence and City Atty. Mike Feuer (http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics-government/government/mike-feuer-PEPLT007571-topic.html), who was serving as a city councilman when the law was passed in 2001 (http://articles.latimes.com/2001/mar/22/local/me-41133).
"These concealable, compact weapons are the weapons of choice for criminals,” Feuer said when the council (http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics-government/government/los-angeles-city-council-ORGOVV0000379-topic.html) voted to back the law.
The Violence Policy Center, a research group focused on preventing gun violence, also warned (http://www.vpc.org/publications/pocket-rockets/pocket-rockets-introduction/) that the portability of “pocket rockets” raised the risk that previously lawful gun owners could misuse them in “moments of anger, depression, or other emotional instability.” Oakland and San Francisco had already passed similar rules when L.A. lawmakers adopted their ban.
Gun rights groups opposed the ban, arguing that the law would hurt women and disabled gun owners who need smaller weapons to defend themselves from attackers. One gun owner told city lawmakers that the measure should be renamed the “Criminal Home Invasion Protection Ordinance.”
Since then, the NRA and the California Rifle & Pistol Assn. have repeatedly demanded that L.A. abolish the ban.
“We asked them to repeal this because it’s preempted by state law that says specifically which handguns gun dealers can and cannot sell in the state of California,” said Chuck Michel, attorney for the California Rifle & Pistol Assn. “This local ordinance conflicts with the state law, which allows a few of these handguns to be sold.”
The Los Angeles City Council is scheduled to vote on repealing the ban Tuesday.
More at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-small-guns-20170828-story.html
Now the city is poised to eliminate that rule in the face of legal warnings from the National Rifle Assn. (http://www.latimes.com/topic/crime-law-justice/national-rifle-association-of-america-ORCIG000080-topic.html) and the California Rifle & Pistol Assn., which say that the city restrictions have been preempted by state law.
L.A.’s longstanding ban prohibits firearm dealers in the city from selling smaller guns that measure up to 6.75 inches in length and 4.5 inches in height, as well as holsters to carry them.
It also requires dealers to keep records of any sales of ultracompact guns to police officers and other buyers who are not covered by the ban.
Banning sales of ultracompact guns was championed by gun control groups such as Women Against Gun Violence and City Atty. Mike Feuer (http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics-government/government/mike-feuer-PEPLT007571-topic.html), who was serving as a city councilman when the law was passed in 2001 (http://articles.latimes.com/2001/mar/22/local/me-41133).
"These concealable, compact weapons are the weapons of choice for criminals,” Feuer said when the council (http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics-government/government/los-angeles-city-council-ORGOVV0000379-topic.html) voted to back the law.
The Violence Policy Center, a research group focused on preventing gun violence, also warned (http://www.vpc.org/publications/pocket-rockets/pocket-rockets-introduction/) that the portability of “pocket rockets” raised the risk that previously lawful gun owners could misuse them in “moments of anger, depression, or other emotional instability.” Oakland and San Francisco had already passed similar rules when L.A. lawmakers adopted their ban.
Gun rights groups opposed the ban, arguing that the law would hurt women and disabled gun owners who need smaller weapons to defend themselves from attackers. One gun owner told city lawmakers that the measure should be renamed the “Criminal Home Invasion Protection Ordinance.”
Since then, the NRA and the California Rifle & Pistol Assn. have repeatedly demanded that L.A. abolish the ban.
“We asked them to repeal this because it’s preempted by state law that says specifically which handguns gun dealers can and cannot sell in the state of California,” said Chuck Michel, attorney for the California Rifle & Pistol Assn. “This local ordinance conflicts with the state law, which allows a few of these handguns to be sold.”
The Los Angeles City Council is scheduled to vote on repealing the ban Tuesday.
More at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-small-guns-20170828-story.html