Longmont City Council will once again be discussing gun legislation with the hopes of approving a policy stance Tuesday.
In December, Councilmember Marcia Martin motioned to bring back a statement on gun legislation for the council to consider. Council will discuss that drafted statement at the upcoming council meeting.
As drafted, the statement outlines last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling the Second Amendment regarding gun legislation and the resulting lawsuit against Boulder County and three local municipalities that tried to pursue local gun laws.
“In the blink of an eye, the highest court’s ruling changed the legal landscape around the Second Amendment and called into question the constitutionality of gun laws across the country,” the draft reads. “When passing gun legislation, governments can no longer rely on important, long-standing governmental interests, such as public safety, and instead must show that gun restrictions are consistent with historical traditions.”
The letter also mentioned the increase of various crimes in the community, which the letter argues that gun restrictions will not make a difference in. Instead, the letter points to growing crime as a result of things like the increased liability of police officers, people committing crimes being released too quickly and the need for more addiction or mental health treatment.
“We, the Longmont City Council, will not sit by and wait for another tragedy,” the draft says. “How we proceed, however, must be as sophisticated, balanced and responsible as the current legal context is complex. Because of the recent Supreme Court ruling and Colorado state statutes, local ordinances are not likely to be effective.”
The letter, if passed, would commit the city to providing an analysis of current state laws and how they are affecting crime in Longmont, determining and sharing recommendations for state legislative solutions, lobbying for addiction and mental health treatment options for people released from the court system and engaging with the community.
Other notable topics of discussion for Tuesday night include a joint meeting with the Longmont Downtown Development Authority before the council meeting on pedestrian access and safety in the downtown area. Council will also be looking at proposals for how to spend the nearly $1 million Longmont is receiving from the sale of the Denver Broncos to be spent toward youth activity programs.
