A lawyer representing a gun rights organization has threatened to sue York City and file a private criminal complaint against city officials over the city’s proposed ordinance that would forbid the discharge of firearms within the city limits.
Joshua Prince, chief counsel for the Firearms Consulting Group in Bechtelsville, Bucks County, Pa., asserts in a letter sent to the city that its proposed ordinance violates state law that prohibits municipalities from regulating firearms.
Prince, who is representing an organization called Firearms Owners Against Crime – Legal, Legislative and Educational Action, said in an interview that state law, and subsequent court rulings, have determined that it is “unconstitutional and unlawful” for municipalities to adopt any ordinances that regulate firearms.
“The courts have been clear on this matter,” he said. “Municipalities cannot regulate firearms and ammunition in any manner.”
And, he said, that includes the discharge of firearms.
The proposed city ordinance, introduced Wednesday, would make it illegal to discharge a firearm in the city, something Police Commissioner Mike Muldrow asserted had nothing to do with the lawful right to possess a firearm.