Glendale indicates it will ban gun shows
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This post has been corrected. See note at bottom for details.
The Glendale City Council indicated Tuesday night it will vote to ban gun shows in the city.
Citing several examples of gun violence recently –- including the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner’s rampage and the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting in 2012 -– the council indicated it will vote next week to approve the ban.
The law would also ban firearms and ammunition from all city property with few exceptions, including for police officers and active military personnel.
“While government at all levels has a substantial interest in protecting the public from firearm-related harm and death, local governments have the predominant obligation to do so,” the City Council agenda reads.
Glendale hosts three gun shows annually, each netting the city between $18,000 and $19,000.
The city hosted a gun show the first weekend of March at the Glendale Civic Center, which is across the street from a community college. A clause in the city’s contract with the gun show operators allows the city to back out of its agreement without reason, according to a city staff report.
Gun manufacturers and sellers already in place in Glendale would not be affected. The city has 37 firearms dealers, including one pawnbroker, two manufacturers, 15 traditional dealers and 19 collectors.
“This gun show being banned on Glendale city property won’t make any difference on anybody’s ability to purchase a gun,” Councilwoman Laura Friedman said at Tuesday’s meeting, according to the Glendale News Press.
Councilman Ara Najarian opposed the law.
“This is a knee-jerk reaction,” he said. “It’s an emotional reaction.”
One gun show operator at Tuesday’s meeting threatened litigation if the ordinance was adopted. The council will vote for final approval March 19.
[For the record, March 12, 2:06 p.m.: A previous version of this post and headline stated the council had voted to ban gun shows. A vote will be held next week, but a majority of council members expressed strong support Tuesday night for the ban.]
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-- Brittany Levine, Times Community News