Pennsylvania Judge Strikes Down Gun Control;
Finds for Firearms Retailers over Philadelphia

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Following the ruling by Common Pleas Court Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan striking down the Philadelphia City Council's ban on so-called "assault weapons" and a second ordinance limiting handgun purchases to one a month, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – the trade association for the firearms industry and plaintiff in the suit – issued the following statement:

We are pleased with Judge Cutler's decision to honor state law and enjoin Philadelphia from enforcing the city council’s recently passed gun-control laws. These laws would only hurt law-abiding firearms retailers and citizens and do nothing to thwart violent crime.

The Pennsylvania Legislature passed into law preemption legislation because it understood the dangers of allowing municipalities to create their own patchwork of gun- control laws. Chaos would ensue and the judicial system would come to a grinding halt as law-abiding citizens would be turned into criminals for merely turning down the 'wrong' street and crossing over a city border. 

"There were many who played a vital role in this Keystone State victory including the National Rifle Association and individual firearms retailers," added NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. "The Pennsylvania Association of Firearms Retailers and NSSF are appreciative of their efforts in helping to secure the rule of law and the firearms freedoms of all law-abiding Philadelphia residents."

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