Oak Harbor sticks with gun control


January 1, 2013 · Updated 4:43 PM 

Oak Harbor City Council took a stand in favor of gun control, risking a lawsuit from a gun-rights group.

The issue came to light when the Second Amendment Foundation sent a letter to the city attorney in October, pointing out that several sections of city code violate state law by prohibiting the carrying and display of firearms in city parks and the marina.

Grant Weed, the city attorney, advised the council last week to amend the code to remove the prohibitions. The city isn’t allowed to have gun-control rules that are stricter than state or federal law.

The issue came forward at a difficult time, with the horrific school shooting in Connecticut and the president’s call for increased gun control weighing on everyone’s minds.

Councilman Rick Almberg led the way, saying he won’t vote to allow guns in parks. He said some laws regarding firearms are “out-of-step with common sense.”

Almberg made a motion to do nothing to amend city code in order to give the state and federal government time to adjust gun laws. The motion passed by a 5-1 vote.

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