Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik’s says he has the votes to pass an ordinance next month to require background checks on all gun purchases on city-owned or -managed property – even if it means triggering a fight with the Legislature.
State law prohibits cities from passing gun laws stricter than state statutes. But Kozachik said curtailing unregulated gun sales is different from passing an ordinance prohibiting guns in a public park or other restrictive measures. He said preventing cities from requiring background checks is tantamount to endorsing a potential criminal act.
“Our responsibility as a governing body is to protect the safety of t he public. If the state wants to challenge our requiring background checks in court, they’ll lose it both legally, and they’ll lose it in the court of public opinion,” Kozachik said. “If that’s the fight they want to have, I’m saying bring it on.”
“The state cannot force us to sanction a transaction that may result in somebody buying a gun who is not legally authorized to have it.
Although the Legislature has a history of thwarting Tucson City Council attempts at gun control, Councilwoman Karin Uhlich said the courts have sided with the city in the past. “I think we have firm legal standing,” said Uhlich, who also supports
If it does pass, the city can expect opposition from gun-rights advocates.
Charles Heller, communications director for the Arizona Citizens Defense League, said Tucson’s latest attempt to circumvent state law exemplifies why the Legislature needs to continually tighten its gun laws.
Information from the Arizona Daily Star
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