PA: Easton council votes down proposed lost-gun ordinance
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:46 pm
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Easton council votes down proposed lost-gun ordinance
No authority: No will to support bill after solicitor's warning.
By Michael Duck | Of The Morning Call
November 26, 2008
A proposed Easton gun law, which would have required gun owners to report their lost or stolen weapons quickly, was shot down Tuesday after the city solicitor said it wouldn't stand up in court.
The bill had been championed by Mayor Sal Panto Jr. as a way of targeting straw purchasers who illegally buy guns for criminals, and two weeks ago it had looked like it would pass easily.
But several City Council members changed their minds, defeating the bill 5-2, after hearing solicitor William Murphy's opinion that only the state may pass gun laws.
''Courts have been consistent,'' Murphy said. ''I don't think that this body has the authority'' to regulate the possession of firearms.
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