Safety Panel Urges Council to Ban Sale of Ammo in City
A Los Angeles city panel Monday recommended that the full council ban ammunition sales in the city limits, although such a law has little chance of standing up to a legal challenge.
As a backup, the City Council’s Public Safety Committee also recommended an ordinance that would require people to obtain permits to buy ammunition in Los Angeles.
The proposed ammo ban, which the council is set to consider next month, is similar to the ordinance the Los Angeles County supervisors passed last year.
The county law is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Great Western Shows, a gun show promoter that alleges violations of the U.S. and California constitutions.
Councilman Nick Pacheco, a member of the council’s Public Safety Committee, voted to support the ban. However, the attorney-turned-councilman acknowledged it may not hold up in court.
Assistant City Atty. Henry Morris told the panel the proposed permit system would be more legally defensible. That proposal, introduced by Councilman Mike Feuer, would require ammunition buyers to pay $14 for an annual criminal background check.
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