Please Stand-Up and Make Your Voices Heard!
On Tuesday, September 1, the Green Bay City Council will consider an ordinance that would ban the possession of firearms in all city parks. Ordinance #32-09 was passed by the Parks Committee with the only dissenting vote being Alderman Dan Piton. Ordinance #32-09 is a blatant violation of Wisconsin’s firearms preemption law that prohibits localities from enacting laws more stringent than state law.
The City Attorney is incorrectly interpreting state law with regard to limited firearms prohibitions on state parks and thusly feels justified in introducing a city parks ban. The law clearly states that:
“Chapter 66.0409
(2) Except as provided in subs. (3) and (4), no political subdivision may enact an ordinance or adopt a resolution that regulates the sale, purchase, purchase delay, transfer, ownership, use, keeping, possession, bearing, transportation, licensing, permitting, registration or taxation of any firearm or part of a firearm, including ammunition and reloader components, unless the ordinance or resolution is the same as or similar to, and no more stringent than, a state statute.”
State law makes no mention of prohibitions on the possession of firearms in city parks. According to state statute, firearms in city parks are allowed; therefore, a ban on firearms possession would be more stringent than state law.
Please contact the Green Bay Aldermen and respectfully urge them to vote “NO” on ordinance # 32-09. Also, please thank Alderman Piton for being the lone voice of opposition to this illegal and unjust proposal. Contact information can be found below.
Jerry Wiezbiskie
(920) 468-5871
Thomas De Wane, Vice-President
(920) 465-7803
Andy Nicholson
(920) 465-3564
Anthony Theisen
(920) 433-9331
Amy Kocha
(920) 435-9494
Dan Piton
(920) 465-9001
Celestine Jeffreys
(920) 884-8152
Christopher Wery, President
(920) 490-9282
Guy Zima
(920) 499-3614
Steven Deneys
(920) 499-6609
John Vander Leest
(920) 405-0009
Thomas Weber
(920) 655-8812