Why Guns Have No Place in Government Buildings

I cover meetings for a few municipalities. I see how nutty and angry some people can get over local issues, where emotions can fly high. I've seen Dan DePaul go after Ron Angle after a Northampton County Council meeting. I've seen two Executives, Glenn Reibman and John Stoffa, getting sheriff escorts. But these are meetings in courthouses, where guns are prohibited by state law.

What about municipal buildings?

Here's the problem. While the state legislature refuses to permit anyone with a gun inside their hallowed halls, it's open season everywhere else. Under the Uniform Firearms Act,

No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.

In other words, municipalities are preempted by state law from enacting any ordinances to protect their own officials inside one of their own buildings.

I have argued that a municipality should have a right to regulate the use of their own property, but I'm not so sure whether that would hit the right note with the Supremes.  An Erie ordinance banning firearms in parks is under attack precisely because state law trumps local regulation, and is currently under review in the Supreme Court.

In most other places, local solicitors will advise that people have a right to come to a meeting armed.

And that's an invitation to disaster.

As most of you know, during a meeting in nearby Ross Township last night, a man in an 18-year dispute with Supervisors over his property, regarded as an eyesore, decided to shoot up the municipal building.Three people are dead. At least six others are injured.

I'm sure the gun nuts will claim the remedy is just to give people mmore guns.