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Posted on 08/01/2007 12:27:04 PM PDT by Domandred
Mayor Chaney says rash of shooting deaths has led the city to look into its ability to limit arms at public venues
MOSCOW - No guns have apparently been packed into city council meetings here or carried within city buildings or parks, officials said Tuesday.
Nonetheless, Mayor Nancy Chaney said she's asked for a legal opinion on whether the city has authority to prohibit both concealed and exposed weapons in public places.
"We don't want to tread on anyone's Second Amendment rights," Chaney said. "We want to find out what is within our legal prerogative."
City Supervisor Gary Riedner said City Attorney Randy Fife has been asked to seek the opinion from the office of the Idaho attorney general before any additional action is taken. As it stands now, Riedner said, everyone attending a city council meeting could bring an exposed rifle, shotgun or handgun.
"Unless there's authority to restrict it, under state law you can carry an exposed gun," Riedner said. Concealed weapons may also be carried as long as the carrier has a permit issued through the sheriff's office. Idaho also recognizes concealed weapons permits from other states.
Idaho, in fact, is one of the more liberal states when it comes to gun restrictions, said Latah County Prosecutor William Thompson Jr. While guns are prohibited by judicial order at the county courthouse here, Thompson said there are no such prohibitions on other county property. The discharge of a weapon on county property, however, is prohibited, Thompson said. Brandishing a weapon in a threatening manner, such as pointing it at someone, is illegal everywhere unless the act is in self- defense, he added.
District court judges, Thompson said, have authority to regulate what goes on within a courthouse and can prohibit weapons. Former District Court Judge John Bengtson declared the prohibition at the Latah County Courthouse.
Chaney said her concern on city property, in part, stems from the rash of shooting deaths in Latah County over the past five months. She said the May shooting at the courthouse, which resulted in three deaths - including a Moscow police officer - gave her pause about how vulnerable people are in public settings.
She also expressed concern about a trend in some circles to glorify weapons, to the point of armed citizens being encouraged to "swoop in to protect people" during confrontations that should be handled by police.
While firearms are prohibited in schools by state law, in federal buildings by federal law and in county courthouses by judicial order, the city has no obvious authority to invoke such protection, Riedner said.
Once a legal opinion is received from the state, said Chaney, the matter will make its way to members of the city council for eventual consideration of a resolution or ordinance banning or restricting firearms on city property.
Lemme guess. Fleeing liberal Californians taking up residence in Idaho?
Everything is subject to interpretation. Everything is negotiable. Everything needs to be according to trends. Nothing can be absolute. .....No even your inalienable rights given to you by your creator. I’m sure they will argue the meaning creator one day.
Actually the former Chief of Police of Moscow Idaho is/was the Sheriff of Santa Barbara CA = NO Concealed Carry in Santa Barbara, he believes you shouldn’t be able to have firearms...
(sarc)
Wouldn’t this have been in the News? All under the headlines of “wild west shootouts”?
Or does she think Moscow, ID has a similar population as the urban ghettos?
Don’t cloud the issue with fact!
Texas just passed a change to the CHL law that permits judges at all levels to carry pretty much anywhere (assuming they have a license), even where it’s posted “no guns” in the proper statutory language and font - including church, court and schools. Personally, if I’m a business owner, I WANT CHL holders to come in packin’!
Colonel, USAFR
So she wants to ban guns due to a shooting at the only place to have already banned guns....
The shooter of the gun was at a church across the street from the courthouse.
No he was standing in the parking lot of the Courthouse shooting up the joint, then he went to the church...
To think they want to ban firearms around there, I was there earlier that evening and so were two of my coworkers, one of them was there about a half hour before the whole thing went down...
Just down the street at U of I someone was mugged at knife point...
And a student was shot in the head near the University...
Well it is interesting to hear someone ponder if it’s OK to ban firearms on city property? How quaint!
City dwellers don’t give it much thought after all. The thought came to me that cities or establishments are free to set regulations, though. “No firearms in town/court/business establishments”. But what’s interesting - at that point then, “somebody” is in loco parentis, correct? After all, you have had your right to self-defense restricted. Can they be sued successfully? How about the city government? I just find these thought exercises interesting, if terribly depressing.
As usual, the lawbreakers will break the laws. Criminals will carry guns irrespective of the gun ban laws. Duh.
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She said the May shooting at the courthouse...
Well it sure worked there. May as well try the city hall to.
This dumb chick thinks that 2nd amendment rights are related to the law. If she can legally do it, she thinks it is ok by the 2nd?
What morons voted for this dunce? Good thing state law prohibits local gun restrictions. She should know that.
And she does know that. She's looking for a way to interpret that prohibition away.
We have state preemption in Oregon as well, enacted the same time as our shall issue concealed carry. Our state law bans carry in courtrooms (though not the greater courthouse itself), and it does not prohibit carry in city halls, schools, taverns or bars, or most of the other places where other states have carry bans. Schools have tried for the past several years to get the legislature to enact carry bans, but Oregon Firearms Federation and Gun Owners of America have been there for us.
“Idaho, in fact, is one of the more liberal states when it comes to gun restrictions,..”
Hmm, that is odd. It sounds to me like they are one of the more conservative states when it comes to gun restrictions.
“Lemme guess. Fleeing liberal Californians taking up residence in Idaho?”
Liberals are just like locusts.
I'm investigating the dating and seduction of Nancy Chaney's 18 year old daughter.
But I don't want to tread on anyone's virginity.
Moscow: home of the University of Idaho.
Since the 1960s American universities have been more successful at indoctrinating Americans with Marxist ideology than the Communist International ever was in its wildest dreams! And Moscow, ID is appropriately named for that purpose.
Story got picked up by AP today. Seen it in several Northwest paper news feeds.
“MOSCOW - No guns have apparently been packed into city council meetings here or carried within city buildings or parks, officials said Tuesday.”
Guess again about the parks... lying SOB’s, I don’t go into Moscow unless I’m carrying something, and I’m legally entitled to do so.
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