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	Vol.7, No 27, October 14, 1999
	L.B. City Council affirms gun control measures  By Tom Harshbarger Daily Forty-Niner The Long Beach City Council voted 7-2 Tuesday to approve an ordinance that will drastically affect licensed gun dealers in the city. The ordinance, sponsored by Councilman Dan Baker, 2nd District, calls for gun dealers to obtain $1 million of liability insurance by Jan. 1, 2001, and bans all firearm sales on city-owned property. The proposal also calls for more rigorous enforcement of a 1992 ordinance banning home gun sales.  The liability insurance would also make the city exempt from any lawsuits.   Some citizens who sell guns at home said they were unaware of the 1992 ordinance and have been getting their licenses renewed regularly with no problem. At Baker's suggestion a three-month grace period was added to the ordinance, along with a promise to make sure the word gets out this time.  Both councilors and citizens vigorously debated the issue for more than two hours.  "Gun violence has become a tragic epidemic," Baker said. "No one is safe from the indiscriminate risk of injury or death by firearms, and its toll on society is staggering."  Despite the sensitive nature of the topic, the debate stayed relatively calm on both sides of the issue. One man, though, did go so far as to compare Baker to Adolf Hitler. Mayor Beverly O'Neill divided the citizens into two lines to speak at the podium: supporters and detractors. Luis Tolley, western regional director of Handgun Control Inc., which lobbies for gun control laws, was among the supporters.  Sarah Brady, the wife of former White House Press Secretary Jim Brady, who was critically wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, is the organization's chairwoman. "We've seen that actions that are taken by cities like Long Beach are tremendously important," Tolley said. What the City Council does "will have repercussions throughout the state."  While many citizens were voicing their opinions, as many as four councilors at a time left the council chamber. One audience member chastised the councilors for their apparent lack of interest. Many of the arguments against the ordinance cited Second Amendment protection as well as adverse economic impact. The high insurance policy, critics argued, would force many gun stores to close shop or move to other communities.  Councilman Jerry Shultz, 9th District, said inadequate jail sentences are the problem, not firearms dealers. He proposed the matter be sent to the city's Public Safety Committee for further review; the rest of the council did not support that motion. "I'm concerned that if we establish a process, we don't pick and choose what issues come before Public Safety," Shultz said. "If gun control is not a public safety issue, abolish the committee. I'll step off of it." Councilman Jeffrey Kellogg, 8th District, and Shultz both voted against the plan. Kellogg said he felt the bill essentially did nothing new; the city has never allowed gun shows on municipal property.		Union Fees Mandatory   Textbook tax may be tossed   L.B. City Council affirms gun control measure   Service week to begin Too many babies   Holiday for those without maps   Open space wasted Car brings excitement to University Student Union   Compilation shows many qualities of Os Mutantes   Cage Rage   Latino Heritage Month highlighted on campus   Weberg's weekend video picks are full of fright   Soccer team will try for pair of victories   LBSU hopes to take control of Big West this weekend   Midnight rings in basketball madness Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.