Mike
Site Co-Founder
Coloradoans need to be showing up tio these city council meetings and challenging these illegal gun bans - let's roll folks!
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http://www.dailycamera.com/longmont-news/ci_15415486
SNIP
Most cities in Boulder County have enacted some form of gun-control laws.
In Boulder, a city code makes it a crime to openly bring a gun into any city-owned or city-operated property -- such as open space, libraries and city buildings -- where posted signs state that firearms aren't allowed. Another code specifically makes it illegal to bring a gun into the City Council meeting room when the council is in session.
But despite the signs, a concealed-carry permit can trump the city's rules, said Kathy Haddock, Boulder's senior assistant city attorney.
Boulder Mayor Susan Osborne said Wednesday that she didn't know guns could be allowed inside a council meeting. She said she's concerned about that and the court's decision, saying the city should have the right to expand its gun restrictions.
"It feels as though, at a local level, we should have the right to protect elected officials from harm," she said. "It's really an unpleasant thought to me that anybody would want to bring guns to a council meeting."
Haddock, who has worked on several municipal gun laws, said the city has taken handgun restrictions as far as it could without challenging the state's laws.
The city and county of Broomfield has done the same, banning the open carry of handguns on city property. Permit holders can still carry concealed.
"A lot of stuff changed here after 9/11," said Rosann Doran, a spokeswoman for Broomfield. "The idea of people walking in and spraying bullets around kind of got people's attention."
Broomfield Police Chief Tom Delend said allowing concealed handguns inside city buildings, including the police department, has never caused him concern.
"At this point, it has never been an issue," he said.
Unincorporated Boulder County has even less ability to set restrictions on handguns because it's a statutory county that's mostly governed by state law.
Still, the Boulder County commissioners earlier this year updated a resolution that bans the discharge or open carry of firearms on county-owned open space.
County spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield said there are also signs asking residents not to bring guns into county-owned buildings, but there is no official ordinance making the act illegal.
"We don't have any enforcement mechanism in place," she said.
Other Boulder County cities with restrictions on the open carry of firearms on city property include Lafayette and Superior.
The mountain town of Nederland has an informal policy prohibiting the open carry of handguns inside its town hall, but it is not illegal.
In Erie, there is no town ordinance specifically prohibiting open carry of guns inside town facilities, although some buildings, including the Erie Recreation Center, have policies against firearms that police can enforce.
Openly carried or concealed firearms are prohibited at the Boulder County Justice Center, and most other courthouses, because they have permanent security screening in place. State law also prevents guns -- concealed or otherwise -- from being carried at public schools, or where prohibited by federal law.
Not a big problem
Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a Denver-based Second Amendment lobbying group, said Wednesday that most people who carry guns openly or concealed don't make trouble.
"In general, we don't find that people who open carry or conceal carry are a big problem with law enforcement," he said.
He said that restricting the open carry of handguns doesn't make much sense because police have the ability to contact, question and disarm anyone acting inappropriately with a gun.
He also said that some cities with policies against carrying guns give residents the false impression that it's illegal to do so.
"That's the kind of thing that happens all over the place," he said.
People with permits, he added, have more rights than they might be aware of.
Read more: Longmont moves on handgun ban amid pro-gun victory at Supreme Court - Boulder Daily Camera http://www.dailycamera.com/longmont-news/ci_15415486#ixzz0vGoaL4k7
DailyCamera.com
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http://www.dailycamera.com/longmont-news/ci_15415486
SNIP
Most cities in Boulder County have enacted some form of gun-control laws.
In Boulder, a city code makes it a crime to openly bring a gun into any city-owned or city-operated property -- such as open space, libraries and city buildings -- where posted signs state that firearms aren't allowed. Another code specifically makes it illegal to bring a gun into the City Council meeting room when the council is in session.
But despite the signs, a concealed-carry permit can trump the city's rules, said Kathy Haddock, Boulder's senior assistant city attorney.
Boulder Mayor Susan Osborne said Wednesday that she didn't know guns could be allowed inside a council meeting. She said she's concerned about that and the court's decision, saying the city should have the right to expand its gun restrictions.
"It feels as though, at a local level, we should have the right to protect elected officials from harm," she said. "It's really an unpleasant thought to me that anybody would want to bring guns to a council meeting."
Haddock, who has worked on several municipal gun laws, said the city has taken handgun restrictions as far as it could without challenging the state's laws.
The city and county of Broomfield has done the same, banning the open carry of handguns on city property. Permit holders can still carry concealed.
"A lot of stuff changed here after 9/11," said Rosann Doran, a spokeswoman for Broomfield. "The idea of people walking in and spraying bullets around kind of got people's attention."
Broomfield Police Chief Tom Delend said allowing concealed handguns inside city buildings, including the police department, has never caused him concern.
"At this point, it has never been an issue," he said.
Unincorporated Boulder County has even less ability to set restrictions on handguns because it's a statutory county that's mostly governed by state law.
Still, the Boulder County commissioners earlier this year updated a resolution that bans the discharge or open carry of firearms on county-owned open space.
County spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield said there are also signs asking residents not to bring guns into county-owned buildings, but there is no official ordinance making the act illegal.
"We don't have any enforcement mechanism in place," she said.
Other Boulder County cities with restrictions on the open carry of firearms on city property include Lafayette and Superior.
The mountain town of Nederland has an informal policy prohibiting the open carry of handguns inside its town hall, but it is not illegal.
In Erie, there is no town ordinance specifically prohibiting open carry of guns inside town facilities, although some buildings, including the Erie Recreation Center, have policies against firearms that police can enforce.
Openly carried or concealed firearms are prohibited at the Boulder County Justice Center, and most other courthouses, because they have permanent security screening in place. State law also prevents guns -- concealed or otherwise -- from being carried at public schools, or where prohibited by federal law.
Not a big problem
Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a Denver-based Second Amendment lobbying group, said Wednesday that most people who carry guns openly or concealed don't make trouble.
"In general, we don't find that people who open carry or conceal carry are a big problem with law enforcement," he said.
He said that restricting the open carry of handguns doesn't make much sense because police have the ability to contact, question and disarm anyone acting inappropriately with a gun.
He also said that some cities with policies against carrying guns give residents the false impression that it's illegal to do so.
"That's the kind of thing that happens all over the place," he said.
People with permits, he added, have more rights than they might be aware of.
Read more: Longmont moves on handgun ban amid pro-gun victory at Supreme Court - Boulder Daily Camera http://www.dailycamera.com/longmont-news/ci_15415486#ixzz0vGoaL4k7
DailyCamera.com
