The Boise City Council is considering changes to the law that deals with guns and parks. Council members had their first look at the new ordinance this week.
Councilman T.J. Thomson is asking for the change.
Current code says, “No person in any park shall use firearms of any description.” Thomson says the code conflicts with state laws about when someone can legally carry a gun.
“I’m a gun owner; I’m an enthusiast and a strong advocate for the Second Amendment.”
Thomson says his push to make the change began in 2014. He says a citizen with the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance approached Thomson to clean up Boise code to make sure it conformed with state laws.
“I found Boise code conflicted with state law. The way the code reads presently in parts, it regulated carry or possession of firearms.”
He says cities in Idaho do not have the authority to regulate the possession of a gun. A city can regulate when a gun can be fired in city limits.
“It’s just clarifying the code to remove any specificity surrounding possession through city code.”
According to Thomson, the new code makes it clear you can openly carry a gun or carry a concealed weapon with an appropriate license in a city park - that comes from the state level, not from the city.
He says you cannot fire a gun in city limits, unless it’s for self-protection. That will not shift with the change in code language.
Thomson says the council will take a vote on the new code in a few weeks.
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