This week, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed an executive order banning firearms in the city’s recreation facilities, including buildings, courts, fields, playgrounds, and pools.
The executive order does not carve out exemptions for licensed concealed carriers.
The move comes in the wake of the tragic murder of 41-year-old Tiffany Fletcher, an employee of the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) on Sept. 9.
Fletcher, a mother of three boys, was caught in the crossfire of a gun battle at the Mill Creek Rec. Center. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting.
“It is unconscionable that anyone would bring deadly weapons where our city’s children gather to play,” said Mayor Jim Kenney in a press release obtained by GunsAmerica.
“We will not tolerate the endangerment of children and families while they are in the care of our treasured community spaces, and we must do everything we can to protect the public, as well as the dedicated staff that make these facilities run,” he continued.
Within 24 hours of turning the city’s parks and rec. centers into gun-free zones, Gun Owners of America (GOA) slapped Mayor Kenney with a lawsuit to enjoin enforcement of the ban.
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GOA correctly points out that Pennsylvania has a preemption law which means the state Legislature calls the shots with respect to firearm regulations, not cities or municipalities.
Mayor Kenney’s executive order is therefore in violation of state law.
“The lack of respect for taxpayer money is appalling,” said Andrew Austin, attorney for GOA and the plaintiffs in this lawsuit.
“Pennsylvania law is clear here: Philly is not allowed to make gun regulations. Every appellate court in Pennsylvania has made this clear multiple times,” Austin added. “Yet, they continue to waste taxpayer money by attempting to enact these illegal laws.”
GOA also noted that even if the ban were left in place it would not stop hardened criminals and gang members from bringing weapons into public facilities. The only thing this exec order will do is disarm responsible citizens.
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“Mayor Kenney knows this executive order is pointless: law-abiding gun owners aren’t the people committing the violent crime and murder in Philadelphia,” said Dr. Val Finnell, Pennsylvania Director for GOA.
“Rather than take responsibility for city policies that created two years of record homicides, Kenney is attempting to capitalize on the tragic deaths of Philadelphia residents to disarm more people and create more victim-only, ‘gun-free’ zones,” observed Dr. Finnell.
“All this executive order does is put a bullseye on the back of every person at Philadelphia recreational facilities, because they know that Mayor Kenney won’t let you defend yourself there,” he concluded.
As always, stay tuned for updates.