Cincinnati becomes first city in Ohio to ban bump stocks
CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - Cincinnati City Council voted on Wednesday to officially ban bump stocks.
Cincinnati is now the first city in Ohio to ban the devices, which turn semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons, and was used in the horrific Las Vegas shooting which killed dozens and injured hundreds.
The new law prohibits the sale, possession and use of the device.
The vote passed 7-2 with Republicans Amy Murray and Jeff Pastor opposing it.
"It's very clear that only the state can regulate gun laws and for me this body should not be taking up ordinances that's going to open us up to lawsuits," Pastor said.
Pastor and other councilmembers have said the National Rifle Association may sue the city over the law, according to the Enquirer.
Councilmember P.G. Sittenfeld said other local communities must act to ban them.
"There comes a time when people need to decide if some perverted interpretation of the 2nd Amendment granting anyone the right to own what's basically a machine gun overrides the right of people to stay alive and not be gunned down by a weapon of war," Sittenfeld said. "No city should tacitly condone a device which is specifically intended to maximize carnage. I'm proud that Cincinnati has stepped up to lead the charge on this common sense reform, joining just a few other cities across the country.
I recommend that elected leaders around the county do not wait on Congress or on extreme state legislatures who are bought and paid for by the NRA to bring common sense gun reforms. We've already been waiting far too long. There's been far too much bloodshed. Enough is enough. Local communities must act."
Only California has a specific ban on bump stocks. Several states have laws on the books that are ambiguous and untested in court.
Michigan for example does not permit semiautomatic firearms to be converted into fully automatic, "without renewed pressure on the trigger for each successive shot." Since the shooter's finger remains in place while firing with a bump-fire stock, it could be open to interpretation over whether "renewed pressure" is applied each time the gun is fired.
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