Court tosses state’s gun-control curb

[flamin lib]

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/jun/26/court-tosses-states-gun-control-curb/

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania state court on Thursday struck down a law designed to make it easier for gun owners and organizations like the National Rifle Association to challenge local firearms ordinances in court.

The Commonwealth Court said the procedure the Republican-controlled Legislature used to enact the law in the final days of last year’s session violated the state constitution. The ruling came after dozens of municipalities had already repealed their gun laws.

Under the law, gun owners no longer had to show they were harmed by a local ordinance to challenge it.

No more at the link, very short article.

The NRA/ILA added this amendment to another unrelated bill that had passed the debate period thus violating two provisions in the State Constitution: attachment to an unrelated bill and lack of disclosure/public debate. That is the only way a dumbass piece of legislation like this could be passed; in secret and hidden from view. Briefly, the law made it possible for any gun owner or organization from anywhere to sue municipalities even though they could not show that the legislation harmed them in any way. It also mandated that the municipality pay all legal fees if a suit were successful. The NRA with its deep pockets immediately sued several small municipalities over local laws and ordinances that restricted guns in any manner and many of them repealed their laws instead of facing bankruptcy from the legal battle costs.

This ruling will allow the reinstatement of local control over firearms and the likelihood of the NRA getting something like this passed in the daylight is damn slim.

[Faux pas]

1. Kickin'