Mike
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http://www.wiscnews.com/portagedailyregister/news/local/article_e2f69b14-7b56-11df-b325-001cc4c03286.html
SNIP
One man's actions with a gun recently led to a change in city law.
Justin Johnson was stopped in April by police while completing his shopping with his wife and four children at the Portage Walmart.
What prompted police to stop him was that he was openly carrying a handgun, held in a holster on his thigh.
A shopper spotted Johnson and called police. They responded to the store at 6:24 p.m. and encountered Johnson, 22, of rural Portage, who indeed had a handgun - a .44 magnum Taurus, fully loaded.
"One of them just notified me that Portage had an ordinance banning carrying firearms," Johnson said.
Police asked Johnson to leave the store and put his gun away. He did.
Johnson "was compliant," according to the police report, and left the store at the request of employees.
But later, his research told him that the ordinance was in conflict with state law and probably wasn't valid.
"Wisconsin Act 72 said ... all gun laws have to be same or similar, but no more stringent" than the state statute, Johnson said.
Johnson's encounter prompted city officials to change the ordinance forbidding people from openly carrying weapons.
The Common Council voted unanimously last month to bring the city's law into line with the state's. The change in the ordinance went into effect May 27 after the Council suspended the rules governing changes to an ordinance, which typically require three readings of the ordinance over two separate meetings, to vote for it immediately.
"We want to get in line with the state statutes as quickly as possible," said Fred Reckling, chairman of the city's Legislative and Regulatory Committee.
Portage Mayor Ken Jahn said he did not know about Wisconsin's open carry law.
"It was quite a surprise to me," Jahn said. "I've always assumed that you can't have an open gun on a street."
The change in the ordinance pleased Johnson.
"It feels like a nice victory for gun rights," Johnson said.
. . .
http://www.wiscnews.com/portagedailyregister/news/local/article_e2f69b14-7b56-11df-b325-001cc4c03286.html
SNIP
One man's actions with a gun recently led to a change in city law.
Justin Johnson was stopped in April by police while completing his shopping with his wife and four children at the Portage Walmart.
What prompted police to stop him was that he was openly carrying a handgun, held in a holster on his thigh.
A shopper spotted Johnson and called police. They responded to the store at 6:24 p.m. and encountered Johnson, 22, of rural Portage, who indeed had a handgun - a .44 magnum Taurus, fully loaded.
"One of them just notified me that Portage had an ordinance banning carrying firearms," Johnson said.
Police asked Johnson to leave the store and put his gun away. He did.
Johnson "was compliant," according to the police report, and left the store at the request of employees.
But later, his research told him that the ordinance was in conflict with state law and probably wasn't valid.
"Wisconsin Act 72 said ... all gun laws have to be same or similar, but no more stringent" than the state statute, Johnson said.
Johnson's encounter prompted city officials to change the ordinance forbidding people from openly carrying weapons.
The Common Council voted unanimously last month to bring the city's law into line with the state's. The change in the ordinance went into effect May 27 after the Council suspended the rules governing changes to an ordinance, which typically require three readings of the ordinance over two separate meetings, to vote for it immediately.
"We want to get in line with the state statutes as quickly as possible," said Fred Reckling, chairman of the city's Legislative and Regulatory Committee.
Portage Mayor Ken Jahn said he did not know about Wisconsin's open carry law.
"It was quite a surprise to me," Jahn said. "I've always assumed that you can't have an open gun on a street."
The change in the ordinance pleased Johnson.
"It feels like a nice victory for gun rights," Johnson said.
. . .
