St. Paul City Council passes ordinance requiring gun owners to lock up firearms
The St. Paul City Council Wednesday unanimously passed an ordinance that requires gun owners to lock up their firearms.
The measure would make it a crime in St. Paul to store or leave a loaded or unloaded firearm in a place where an unauthorized person can access it.
The ordinance would not penalize people who take "reasonable action" to lock up their guns.
Council Member Jane Prince said it'll help protect children.
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“I personally know two families whose futures were devastated by young children getting their hands on guns,” Prince said.
Mayor Melvin Carter is expected to sign the measure.
Many St. Paul firearms owners say the requirements would render their weapons inaccessible or inoperable in emergencies.
Rob Doar with the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus noted that it's already illegal in Minnesota to store a loaded gun within a child's reach. He added that the measure violates another state law that prohibits local governments from regulating firearms.
“Under Minnesota's preemption law, this ordinance is void,” Doar said. “As far as we're concerned, this ordinance doesn't actually have any legal weight.”
Doar said the wording of the ordinance is vague, and he does not expect to challenge the measure in court unless the city attempts to enforce it.