Late last month, Philadelphia’s Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney issued an order banning guns from parks and recreation facilities whether they are legally carried or not.
Yet as the Daily Caller reported, a local court moved on Monday to block the order for being unconstitutional.
Mayor’s office “disappointed by the outcome”
Sarah Peterson serves as deputy communications director for Kenney’s office, and she told the Daily Caller News Foundation that his administration isn’t happy about Monday’s ruling.
“We are reviewing the decision and are disappointed by the outcome, which as it stands prevents City employees from making the reasonable request that anyone with a firearm or deadly weapon leave a recreation facility,” Peterson was quoted as saying.
“Since 2019, nearly 300 reported incidents of gun violence have occurred at City recreation facilities, in addition to dozens of other incidents of violence with a deadly weapon,” the communications director continued.
“The Mayor’s Executive Order was intended to prevent the senseless violence that is interfering with the safety of children, families and staff in what must be safe places,” she concluded.
Kenney’s focus on legal weapons is odd given how data from other states show that people with carry permits are rarely a threat. Of the over 1.7 million Texans who were licensed to carry in 2021, only six were convicted of murder.
Pro-gun group: “The law in Pennsylvania couldn’t be clearer”
Kenney’s ban on lawfully carried weapons was challenged in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas by Gun Owners of America (GOA), and the group released a statement celebrating its victory.
“All of the anti-gun municipalities need to take a lesson from this: Gun Owners of America is not going to tolerate your illegal bans for one minute. We stopped Mayor Kenney in less than a week, and we will do the same to you” said Dr. Val Finnell, @GoaPennsylvania pic.twitter.com/NXupaqTWo9
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) October 3, 2022
“The law in Pennsylvania couldn’t be clearer,” GOA attorney Andrew Austin declared. “No municipality – including Philadelphia – may regulate the lawful possession of firearms in any manner.”
“Obviously, the City doesn’t care about that law or the concrete legal precedent affirming it, and since there are no consequences for them, they will continue to try to ram through illegal rules to the detriment of their own citizens,” he continued.
“However, we’re grateful that the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas was willing to act so quickly to prohibit the mayor’s illegal action,” Austin concluded.