Governor Brownback signed legislation on Wednesday that would nullify city and county gun restrictions in Kansas and ensuring that it’s legal statewide to openly carry firearms. KMUW’s Carla Eckels reports…
The bill would sweep away most local restrictions on open carry, though cities and counties could prevent people from doing so in public buildings. The National Rifle Association describes it as a model for stripping local officials of their gun-regulating power. Sedgwick County Commissioner Dave Unruh is concerned about the law taking away local control.
"If people have a concealed carry, they’ve been through significant background checks to see if they’re law abiding citizens and they’ve taken training, both in how to handle a gun and they’ve taken classes on the legality of it all, but open carry I think anyone could just strap on a weapon and walk down the street and I’m not sure that's good government," Unruh says.
The measure also would prevent cities and counties from enacting restrictions on firearm sales or on how guns are stored and transported. The new gun law takes effect July 1.