Score one for the 2nd, Seattle gun ban declared illegal

[Finalygotabeltfed]

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/415368_gun12.html

(Seattle mayor sought to use executive privilege to usurp state constitution
by declaring firearms prohibited on City property)

Friday, February 12, 2010
Last updated 6:24 p.m. PT

KOMO-TV STAFF

The law has sided with the gun rights advocates who took the city of Seattle and former Mayor Greg Nickels to court over the city's gun ban.

King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer on Friday ruled in favor of the Second Amendment Foundation, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Washington Arms Collectors, National Rifle Association and five individual plaintiffs, declaring the city of Seattle's gun ban at public places is in direct violation of Washington state's firearm pre-emption law.

In issuing the ruling, Shaffer wrote, "Seattle's Department of Parks and Recreation's Rule/Policy Number P 060-8.14 ("Firearms Rule") violates Washington law and on that basis, is null and void."

The city has been ordered to remove all signage banning weapons from public areas within 30 days.

SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb called the ruling "a great victory for the rule of law and Washington citizens."

"It is also a victory for the Legislature," Gottlieb said, "because this case affirms the intent of lawmakers in 1983 to prevent cities like Seattle from creating a nightmare patchwork of conflicting and confusing firearms regulations."

City officials were not available for comment.


Text of ruling here:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2010/02/12/2011061727.pdf

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

Wow, reason actually prevailed. I'm expecting a squadron of pigs to buzz my window any minute.

 

[Palladin]

Good deal!

 

[owningpeoplesince1984]

Applauding Seattle....Way to go...

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

No surprise here, this decision was never in question. It was widely acknowledged that the Seattle law violated Washington's preemption law. But Mayor Nickels had to make his point. And once again we see the control folk destroying themselves.

 

[SecondAmdFirst]

My wife's family is from Washington.....they say Seattle has f'ed up the whole state. Her uncle says "I remember when this state was free.....then those damn liberals had to move into Seattle." It is the classic example of someone moving to a nice place....then they have to make it "their own". Here is a little tip....if you want socialism.....move to someplace that already has that.

 

[Scrivener]

We could use such judicial clarity and perspicacity in this state.

 

[Bill Nance]

The law wasn't ever going to stand. It was a forgone conclusion that Seattle would lose the case because it's a clear, explicit violation of state law, which prohibits cities from making their own gun control laws.
Seattle voters should be ticked off even if they HATE guns because the city wasted everyone's tax dollars passing and then defending a law that had less than ZERO chance of standing up in court.

As for the accusations of Washington being "Californicated" (a popular term out there) it's largely untrue. The fruits, nuts and flakes mostly went to Oregon, not Washington.

Washington's problem is that it's three very different cultures all balled up into one political entity. Seattle is very liberal and urban (Though on it's worst day it doesn't hold a candle to California in the wacky department) and has a giant population. Over on the Olympic Peninsula you've got logging country and a very rugged individualist kind of people. East of the Cascades you've got all farmland and very conservative small-town type people. Because King County has so much more population than any other area in the state, (Like more than half the entire state's population) they tend to dominate state-wide politics.

 

[Len-2A Training]

We could use such judicial clarity and perspicacity in this state.

Very true and speaks to my frequent point that our judiciary is corrupt ("makes law" vs. interprets law/Constitution) whenever given the opportunity.

They also benefit from having Alan Gottlieb in the neighborhood. SAF is the "mouse that roared". They do a lot of good things, have a very organized phone tree network that absolutely bombards their state capital when needed, having legislators "cry uncle" when activated. Too bad he's not in our back yard or things would be much different here.

Because King County has so much more population than any other area in the state, (Like more than half the entire state's population) they tend to dominate state-wide politics.

And this is just like the amount of influence that Boston (and the "inside 128 belt) wields vs. the rest of MA.

 

[Maj. Boom Boom]

lately things are starting to look up in the good ole US of A, by baby steps, true, but steps all the same. we need to keep it up and show them we have reach the point where we will not stand around and just let them do whatever it is they want to do.

EDIT: I'm speaking in terms of firearms not health care and all the other issues we are still dealing with.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

They also benefit from having Alan Gottlieb in the neighborhood. SAF is the "mouse that roared". They do a lot of good things, have a very organized phone tree network that absolutely bombards their state capital when needed, having legislators "cry uncle" when activated. Too bad he's not in our back yard or things would be much different here.

You're exactly right. Alan Gottlieb / SAF are extraordinarily effective and there reach is not limited to WA. They are my favorite 2A group and I'd like to see that kind activity applied in in MA. I think they would have the potential to make a change in our laws.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

We could use such judicial clarity and perspicacity in this state.

True.....and we could use a good purging of almost the entire legislature, a campaign of reeducation of the public and the repeal of 90+% of the existing laws concerning guns in this state.