On Tuesday, November 28th, the Kearney City Council voted 3-2 to rescind the recent gun-free zone ordinance Resolution 2023-149. Mayor Stan Clouse and Councilmembers Jonathan Nikkila and Bruce Lear voted to rescind the ordinance, while Councilmembers Randy Buschkoetter and Tami James Moore voted to maintain the ordinance.
The council meeting was filled with Second Amendment advocates who shared their insights and concerns with Resolution 2023-149 for over an hour, which saw the night end in the successful repeal of the ordinance. A measure was also on the table to amend the resolution to clarify certain language within it, but this was also voted down, leading to the complete repeal of gun-free zones on city-managed properties except those outlined in state and federal law. NRA thanks all our members and other Second Amendment advocates who made their voices heard and contributed to this significant victory for the city!
The fight to remove these ordinances from Nebraska is not over yet. Resolution 2023-149 was initially passed after both Lincoln and Omaha implemented similar gun-free zone ordinances following the passage of LB 77, which provides statewide firearms preemption. While Kearney initially followed in the footsteps of these two cities, Tuesday’s victory shows that it is possible to get these ordinances stricken from the books and sets the stage for the fight to continue in Lincoln and Omaha.
Thank you again to all our members and other Second Amendment advocates who made this victory possible. We encourage you to contact your councilmembers to express your gratitude and continue to advocate against gun-free zone ordinances without adequate security measures in the city. Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for updates.