Harris County Commissioners Court today ordered the removal of signs banning legally concealed handguns in county parks, after hearing legal advice that the county could not enforce such a ban.No word yet from Mayor Bloomberg on this one.
County Attorney Mike Stafford's office told the court that the county has been violating state law by banning people with concealed handgun licenses from carrying their guns into parks.
A complaint from a resident who saw one of the signs while using a county park prompted the county attorney's office to look into whether it is legal to ban the guns, Stafford said.
"He was a concealed handgun carrier. He wasn't arrested," Stafford said. "His complaint eventually went up the line to us."
After state lawmakers authorized concealed handgun licenses in 1995, the county, other public entities and all property owners had the authority to ban handguns from their properties.
That changed for public entities in 2003, when the Legislature amended the concealed handgun law.
Governments are now prohibited from banning licensed concealed handgun owners from carrying guns on most public properties. The county can ban concealed handgun licensees from bringing guns to parks when high school, college or professional sporting events are held there.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Harris County orders no-handgun signs out of parks
The Houston Chronicle reports:
