Nebraska cities plan to keep concealed-weapons bansPublished: Monday, January 19, 2009 7:09 PM CSTLINCOLN (AP) ? Most of the Nebraska cities with local bans on concealed weapons have no plans to repeal them after the attorney general said state law allowing such weapons should override any local ban.The League of Nebraska Municipalities? executive director Lynn Rex said Monday the cities disagree with the attorney general?s interpretation of the state concealed-weapons law.Rex said about 10 of the 13 Nebraska cities with weapons bans discussed the issue last week after Attorney General Jon Bruning?s office issued the opinion. And she said all the officials involved in that conference call agreed that state law gives cities the power to restrict weapons.None of those cities plans to repeal its restrictions on concealed weapons, and the municipal group doesn?t plan to ask lawmakers to revise the law.?The legislation that originally passed allowed for a local option,? Rex said. ?We think the law is very clear.?The Nebraska State Patrol says 2007 information shows the following cities had concealed- weapons bans: Beatrice; Columbus; Crawford; Hastings; Holdrege; Kearney; Lexington; Norfolk; O?Neill; Scottsbluff; Seward; South Sioux City and Wayne.The state law allowing concealed weapons passed in 2006. That law allows residents to carry concealed guns after taking safety courses and obtaining permits.About 4,700 Nebraskans have conceal-carry permits, according to the patrol.Rex said providing a provision for cities to enact restrictions on concealed weapons played a key role in the Legislature.?It never would have passed without the local option in there,? Rex said.The opinion from Bruning?s office cannot require cities to repeal their bans. But cities could face lawsuits if their bans remain in place.Hastings city administrator Joe Patterson said the central Nebraska town?s weapons ordinance has been in place for more than 25 years, and that isn?t likely to immediately change because of Bruning?s opinion.Patterson said the City Council will likely discuss the issue at some later meeting.Norfolk Police Chief Bill Mizner said local officials want to study Bruning?s opinion before deciding what to do about that city?s weapons ban.Kearney Police Chief Dan Lynch said he wants to see how the community reacts before deciding whether to consider revising the city?s weapons ban.After the state law allowing concealed weapons passed, gun owners asked Kearney officials to repeal the long-standing city ban, but the council resisted.Scottsbluff?s weapons restrictions are less stringent than most of the other local bans. Scottsbluff prohibited concealed weapons only in buildings owned or leased by the city.So City Attorney Howard Olsen said he doesn?t believe Scottsbluff will have a problem unless state law changes.?I think we are on good ground. We will stay the course until someone tells us differently,? Olsen said.
