How can this Lenoir City ordinance be legal?

[Tobashadow]

I know this has been posted before and i don't live in Loudon County anymore but my dad and a cousin still do.

The following gun ordinance was enacted by the Lenoir City Council.

http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?S=9534064

LENOIR CITY (WATE) -- In the coming days, gun owners, whether they have a permit or not, will no longer be allowed to carry guns inside any Lenoir City owned building.

"These are times in which it could be dangerous. We've seen incidents all over the country. I think it was a good, prudent move by city council to do this," says city administrator Dale Hurst.

Violating the ban is a criminal act and violators can be fined up to $50. To enforce the ordinance, signs are expected to be clearly posted at the entrances of all city buildings.

But the new ordinance brings to light a current state law that allows local business owners to prohibit people from bringing guns inside stores.

The law states, "An individual, corporation, business entity or local, state,or federal government entity or agent thereof is authorized to prohibit the possession of weapons..."

The law gives hardware store owner Jo Ann Jenkins the right to ban guns in her store if she chooses.

"We've got certain rights and carrying a gun is one of them," Jenkins says.

She believes few places will actually use the law, especially if they've never had a problem.

"I doubt I've ever had more than 10 people come in carrying a gun except police officials so I have never had any problems," Jenkins says.

Lenoir City officials say they've never had any problems with citizens bringing guns inside city buildings.

But what about

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr> <td>39-17-1314. Local regulation of firearms and ammunition preempted by state regulation — Actions against firearms or ammunition manufacturers, trade associations or dealers. —

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</td> <td>(a) No city, county, or metropolitan government shall occupy any part of the field of regulation of the transfer, ownership, possession or transportation of firearms, ammunition or components of firearms or combinations thereof; provided, that the provisions of this section shall be prospective only and shall not affect the validity of any ordinance or resolution lawfully enacted before April 8, 1986.

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[Fallguy]

I don't know why these cities keep trying to pass laws to ban carry on city property.

You're right in that 39-17-1314 preempts them from passing such laws. But, if they wasn to prevent carry on city property all they have to do is post signs per 39-17-1359, which allows goverments to post as well.

Of course I've always thought that publicly owned property should be one of the places not allowed to post....

[BrasilNuts]

"Lenoir City officials say they've never had any problems with citizens bringing guns inside city buildings."

Then why try to ban them?

stupid stupid stupid

[alwayspackin]

They need to be more worried about some of the Police Officers then the citizens down there. I have met a couple and they scared me to death. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

This is another reason I don’t support open carry. Some people are just scared of guns!!!!!!! They will stay this way until there life is saved by someone with a gun.

A couple of officers and I had an issue at a shoneys several years back. The manager asked us to leave because we had our guns on. We were in street clothes at the time and even identified our selves. We decided to leave just to please the idiot. A few months went by and a couple of us decided to stop in there again. We made sure our weapons where covered. The manager recognized us and didn’t say anything. A few minutes later he had an angry customer at the counter. The customer almost beat the manager to death before we intervened. For some reason we where a little slow getting over there. I now go this shoneys and have never had any problems since. Lesson learned for this idiot.

<o:p> </o:p>

[Guest gunslinger707]

They need to be more worried about some of the Police Officers then the citizens down there. I have met a couple and they scared me to death. <o>></o>>

<o>></o>>

This is another reason I don’t support open carry. Some people are just scared of guns!!!!!!! They will stay this way until there life is saved by someone with a gun.

A couple of officers and I had an issue at a shoneys several years back. The manager asked us to leave because we had our guns on. We were in street clothes at the time and even identified our selves. We decided to leave just to please the idiot. A few months went by and a couple of us decided to stop in there again. We made sure our weapons where covered. The manager recognized us and didn’t say anything. A few minutes later he had an angry customer at the counter. The customer almost beat the manager to death before we intervened. For some reason we where a little slow getting over there. I now go this shoneys and have never had any problems since. Lesson learned for this idiot.

<o>></o>>

My Pappy alway's said the best lesson's in life are the one's learned the hard way !!

[Guest RedDog]

T.... A few minutes later he had an angry customer at the counter. The customer almost beat the manager to death before we intervened. For some reason we where a little slow getting over there. I now go this shoneys and have never had any problems since. Lesson learned for this idiot.

<o>></o>>

Speaking of *******s - I hope you have been fired for dereliction of duty by now!

[Guest eyebedam]

Speaking of *******s - I hope you have been fired for dereliction of duty by now!

Whats that all about?

[Guest Traumaslave]

Whats that all about?

To serve and protect.

[Guest bluecanary25]

What does LA's police motto gotta do with TN?

As for that poor manager...... I am sure Alwayspackin's momma taught him good and proper not to speak with food in his mouth. So he had to finish chewing, swallow and maybe have a drink to wash it down before addressing the aggressor.... Can't be like Mrs. Doubtfire and vault over tables and stuff.. Heck, that's only in the movies.

[Guest mcclearypl]

I know why so many in government keep trying to take our weapons away! They are plain and simple scared that we may someday get fed up enough with all the evil they do and begin tossing rounds down range for effect. One click up and two to the left if you please. Fire!

[towerclimber37]

I think reddog got confused as to the part of the SCOTUS ruling that said LEOS aren't there to protect your butt..

Naturally, Alwayspackin let the guy finish his business before he put the beatdown on him and then arrested him for assault!

Look guys. its OUR responsibility to protect ourselves. Period.

that man, as with other police officers, have no duty to protect you. it's purely up to him if he wants to dive into a fracas like that.

I'm willing to believe that he waited till he knew the guy was serious about being naughty..and got there as fast as he could to stop the guy from kicking the managers' butt.

no reason to be antisocial about his actions....he wasn't "derelict" in his duty..his duty is to stop a crime if possible, that he observes..he did that.

now, if that manager is stupid and doesn't want to take his own welfare seriously..that's his business.

me? I like good cops..but I don't look to them to get me out of a fracas if someone wants to go on the warpath. I wouldn't want to be in a fight...why would they...especially if it wasn't them that the guy was mad at?

[Guest Schwarzgebrannt]

So, who wants to carry inside a LC building, get arrested, and rack some money in a settlement? Some of our friends over in VA have paid for some nice toys doing just that sort of thing on the regular.

[Guest TennFarmer]

I'm in Lenoir City, and the friggin' NAZI's have taken over up here. Any way to get money out of people. Man, I wouldn't pee on the mayor if he was on fire.

Now I'm all rev'd up, think I'll get the AR out and shoot (targets that is).

[Mousegun]

The newspaper claimed that the new "no gun" policy is for any Lenoir City owned building. I don't know if the city owns buildings that businesses are in. Businesses that previously did not have "no carry" signs on the doors.

I guess this means that they now have to display signs dis-allowing firearm carry if the building is owned by L.C. Up to now, I haven't seen any changes but I have not yet gone to a high number of different businesses either.

Has anyone taken the time to write them a considerate, but to the point e-mail or letter about this issue. I have.