Allentown repeals its gun laws under threat of lawsuits

[CB57]

Allentown repeals its gun laws under threat of lawsuits

By Edward Sieger | The Express-Times
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on February 04, 2015 at 8:48 PM, updated February 04, 2015 at 9:10 PM
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Allentown City Council on Wednesday repealed all city ordinances dealing with firearms in the wake of lawsuits filed statewide challenging local gun laws.

The city repealed its laws that prohibit anyone from carrying a firearm on city property, which included city buildings or parks. Officials had also enacted a lost or stolen gun ordinance that required a gun owner to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours of discovering it was missing.

The city never charged anyone under the law.

The recently enacted state law Act 192 allows groups like the National Rifle Association and Firearms Owners Against Crime to challenge local gun laws in court. Previously, a membership group needed to find someone allegedly harmed by a gun law in order to file a lawsuit. The law went into affect Jan. 5.

Outside groups have already filed lawsuits against Philadelphia, Pitttsburgh and Lancaster, and an attorney representing the Lehigh Valley Tea Party sent a letter to the city solicitor's office a week after the new law went into affect. Attorney Joseph Carroll wrote that that he was retained to assure the city repealed any ordinances dealing with firearms.

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more:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/alle..._gun_laws.html

[streaker69]

The city never charged anyone under the law.

Sounds like a useless law to begin with.

[Statkowski]

Council members expressed frustration that the state legislature would put local governments in this position by opening them to lawsuits from outside groups, noting guns are still prohibited in the state Capitol.

Of course, the council members conveniently forget that the state capitol prohibition is due to the fact that it's a court facility, not because it's the capitol building.

[God's Country]

Oh boohoo the burden of obeying a decades old law is now placed on the cities and municipalities that seek to ignore it instead of the citizen that dares to defy them.

[bushcraft]

Glad to see Allentown is in compliance with State law.

I also heard Bethlehem repealed the $2 gun fee

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/beth...204-story.html

[streaker69]

Of course, the council members conveniently forget that the state capitol prohibition is due to the fact that it's a court facility, not because it's the capitol building.

It would be really interesting if they started to push to have their local MDJ's office moved to the township offices just so that they can ban firearms. Of course, then they'd also have to provide facilities to check firearms, which of course would be ignored.

Speaking of MDJ's, have any letters been sent to all of them in regards to their failure to provide lock boxes?

[PAMedic=F|A=]

It would be really interesting if they started to push to have their local MDJ's office moved to the township offices just so that they can ban firearms. Of course, then they'd also have to provide facilities to check firearms, which of course would be ignored.

Speaking of MDJ's, have any letters been sent to all of them in regards to their failure to provide lock boxes?

The only district justice office I've been to had a lock box.

I was not sure they would have one, given that many have reported problems with them not being present. I suppose we just need to start forcing the issue. IF they do not provide lock boxes, we can not appear in court. The obstruction charges would be on the judges, and county commissioners.

[jw34]

It would be really interesting if they started to push to have their local MDJ's office moved to the township offices just so that they can ban firearms. Of course, then they'd also have to provide facilities to check firearms, which of course would be ignored.

Speaking of MDJ's, have any letters been sent to all of them in regards to their failure to provide lock boxes?

Our MDJ has lock boxes.

[CB57]

My town repealed their gun laws at their council meeting tonight. There was quite a discussion about it, and many unhappy people. They are quite certain that with Wolfe on board, it will change back very quickly.

[Krichardson]

It's going to be interesting to see how Philadelphia proceeds...