HARRISBURG — A gun owners’ group and three individuals have standing to challenge gun control ordinances in Harrisburg, according to a ruling in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
The court ruled that the plaintiffs (above) can challenge the legality of the Discharge Ordinance, the Lost/Stolen Ordinance and the Park Ordinance. The plaintiffs can also challenge the legality of the Minors Ordinance. However, the court ruled that the State of Emergency Ordinance cannot be challenged.
According to the court, each of the challenged ordinance sections regulate in some fashion, the use, possession, ownership and/or transfer of firearms within the city.
Below, is a breakdown of each ordinance in which the plaintiffs can challenge the legality of:
Code Section 3-345.2 restricts the discharge of firearms within the City to educational facilities accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and approved by either the Mayor or the Chief of Police or a firing range operation by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police (Discharge Ordinance).
Code Section 3.345.4 requires firearms owners to report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours after discovery of the loss or theft (Lost/Stolen Ordinance)
Section 10-301.13, inter alia, prohibits the possession, use, and discharge of firearms within City parks (Park Ordinance)
Code Section 3-345.1 generally makes it unlawful for unaccompanied minors to possess firearms in the City (Minors Ordinance).
