Burbank City Council approved a moratorium that would not allow any new gun stores to open in the city for the next 45 days, drawing support and criticism from the community.
The city council argues the goal is to keep the community safe, but local gun store employees believe the city council is playing politics and just wants to kick the industry out of the city.
City council members want more time to think about what kinds of new requirements to implement for that industry.
Some Burbank residents who support the moratorium argue there are too many gun stores in the city, and they are located too close to places like schools.
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Several voiced their opinions at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
"The school year is about to start. Our kids are afraid. We’ve heard it from one of our students. Let’s be proactive. Let’s start today together. I urge you all to vote yes and pass the urgency ordinance," resident Michelle Webster said.
But other residents strongly disagree.
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An unidentified resident said at the podium that "limiting the ability to purchase firearms, to have to go through an undue burden, to travel through out of the city, out of the locale, for this ability, you are violating the United States constitution.”
Under the city council’s moratorium, they would:
- Suspend new licenses to limit or reduce the number of firearm stores
- Change the process to get a business license by putting new requirements in place
- And add new rules to keep firearm stores away from sensitive locations, like schools
Several gun store employees on Magnolia Street argued that they feel their industry is being unfairly targeted. They don’t think Burbank has too many gun stores, and they’re afraid this is just the beginning of tighter restrictions on how they do business.
"I don’t think it’s fair. We are gun owners and I just got some guns from Gun World down the street," gun owner Rocio Rodriguez said.
“I don’t see them posted up on every corner, so I don’t think there’s too many," gun owner Felix Rodriguez said.
The 45-day moratorium could be extended further if city council members need more time to make a decision about new requirements.
