Contact the Mayor and Members of the City Council Today
Last Wednesday, September 7, the Palm Springs City Council voted 3-2 in favor of an ordinance that requires the reporting of lost or stolen firearms, the locked-storage of firearms in the home, and the locked-storage of all handguns and ammunition when kept within a vehicle. Mayor Robert Moon and Councilmembers Geoff Kors and J.R. Roberts voted in the majority. Mayor Pro Tem Chris Mills and Councilmember Ginny Foat voted in opposition.
When originally introduced back in July, the ordinance included a requirement that all ammunition sales be recorded with the Palm Springs Police Department and a ban on the possession of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds. In response, the NRA and CRPA submitted a joint opposition letter, arguing that the proposal duplicates state law and is therefore unenforceable. As a result of the opposition, the City agreed to remove these requirements. But the City pressed on with the mandatory reporting and locked-storage requirements, despite the serious constitutional concerns and detrimental impacts the ordinance will have, as discussed in the NRA and CRPA’s second joint opposition letter.
The unfortunate reality is that if enacted, the Palm Springs ordinance will create an environment of unavoidable non-cooperation between law enforcement and law-abiding citizens.
Instead of achieving the City’s goals, such ordinances only threaten the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and force them to know and be ready to exercise their Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights when interacting with law enforcement. To better assist law-abiding gun owners who reside in or travel through anti-gun jurisdiction, the NRA and CRPA will soon publish a guide that will provide the knowledge necessary to avoid prosecution under feel-good laws like those being pushed in Palm Springs. Stay tuned for further information on this guide.
In the meantime, members should be aware that the September 7 council meeting was only the first reading of the City’s proposed gun control ordinance. California law requires that proposed ordinances be read at least twice before final passage. So there is still time to defeat these ill-conceived measures. Both NRA and CRPA are working hard to oppose them, but we need your help.
The City Council will meet again on September 21 at 6:00 P.M. We encourage all of our members, who are able, to attend. Although it is not clear yet whether or not a discussion will be held by the City Council on the ordinance, public comment will still be allowed during the general public comment period. Should you be unable to attend, you can contact the City Council directly at:
Palm Springs City Hall
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Tel: (760) 323-8299
Fax: (760) 323-8207
Email: Office of the Mayor and City Council Executive Assistant
Joanne.Bruggemans@palmspringsca.gov
You can also contact the three City Councilmembers who voted in favor of the ordinance to respectfully ask them to reconsider their position. They can be reached by email at:
Mayor Robert Moon - Robert.Moon@palmspringsca.gov
Councilmember Geoff Kors - Geoff.Kors@palmspringsca.gov
Councilmember J.R. Roberts - JR.Roberts@palmspringsca.gov
Stay tuned to your email and www.NRAILA.org for updates on this issue and others impacting your Second Amendment rights.
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