CINCINATTI, Ohio (WXIX/CNN) – City council members in Cincinnati passed a significant gun control measure Wednesday, voting to ban bump stocks. The ban outlaws the use, sale and even possession of the devices.
The move makes Cincinnati the first city in Ohio to ban bump stocks.
Still, it remains a controversial issue, with two council members voting against the move.
7 to 2 was the vote at Cincinnati City Hall. Now, we’re hearing from both sides of the issue.
The majority of the city council made their voices known on the issue of bump stocks in the city. The new law prohibits the sale, possession and use of the device.
The city is the first in Ohio to ban the devices.
At a city council meeting, a citizen said, “Our city legally and officially should not tacitly condone a device which makes no mistake is specifically intended to maximize carnage.”
Bumps stocks turn semi-automatic weapons into rapid-fire weapons, one of which was used in the Las Vegas shooting which killed dozens and injured hundreds.
Democrat councilman Greg Landsman said, “If it prevents the kind of carnage and loss of life that we’ve seen in other places, Vegas in particular, we made the right decision.”
When WXIX reporter Frankie Jupiter asked Councilman Jeff Pastor, one of two council members who voted against the ordinance, about his view on bump stocks specifically he instead proceeded to tell me about Ohio Revised Code 9.68, the Right to Bear Arms. “ORC 9.68 is very clear that only the state can regulate gun laws and for me, I said, ‘Well you know this body should not be taking up ordinances. That’s going to open us up to lawsuits,'” the Republican councilman explained.
Now, some city council members disagree that addressing gun issues will open the city up to lawsuits. Some council members say the NRA may sue the city over the ban.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.