Firearm Preemption Laws
Gun control supporters demand that state legislatures impose a wide variety of gun control restrictions within their borders. However, they hypocritically cry foul when legislatures use their power to limit gun control. Frustrated at their inability to convince state legislatures to adopt the restrictive firearm laws they propose, gun control supporters say that local jurisdictions should be able to adopt those restrictions independently.
Aside from gun control supporters’ hypocrisy, there are multiple arguments against local restrictions on basic firearm rights. Historically, some local jurisdictions have imposed clearly unconstitutional restrictions on gun ownership—the District of Columbia’s and Chicago’s since-overturned handgun bans being two recent examples. It also creates confusion when laws vary widely within a state, potentially placing otherwise law-abiding citizens at risk of violating an ordinance of which they were not previously aware, as they travel within their states, and more so when they travel outside their state of residence.
As a result, almost all states today have a law prohibiting local jurisdictions from imposing gun control restrictions that are more severe than state law.
Friday, February 27, 2015
A gun rights lawyer pressed the Harrisburg, Pa., mayor on Thursday to drop his defense of local firearm ...
Friday, February 27, 2015
A growing number of midstate municipalities are revising weapons-related ordinances due to a new state law that makes ...
Thursday, February 26, 2015
A judge is ruling that Pennsylvania's capital city cannot enforce three gun-control ordinances.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Senate Bill 1291, the state preemption bill introduced by state Senator Steve Smith (R-11), passed through both the ...
Friday, February 20, 2015
Two federal judges in Pennsylvania have granted relief to people who had been barred by law from owning ...
Monday, February 9, 2015
Two gun-related bills, including a measure that would do away with a handgun registration requirement in Clark County, ...
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Doylestown Township supervisors approved a change in the township’s code Tuesday night to delete prohibitions against carrying firearms ...
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Allentown City Council on Wednesday repealed all city ordinances dealing with firearms in the wake of lawsuits filed ...
Thursday, February 5, 2015
As gun rights groups galvanize around a new Pennsylvania law making it easier to challenge local gun laws, ...
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Philadelphia City Council is moving to suspend about a dozen gun laws that are not being enforced in ...