City of Philadelphia Passes Bill Repealing Ban on Stun Guns

PHILADELPHIA —-(Ammoland.com)- Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and Firearms Policy Foundation (FPF) are hailing an ordinance effectively repealing the City of Philadelphia’s ban on law-abiding adults from owning, using, possessing, selling, or transferring electronic arms, like “stun guns” and Tasers. The bill was passed in a 16-0 vote at this morning’s city council meeting.

In early April, FPC and FPF commissioned attorney Stephen Stamboulieh to send a letter to every city in the United States, including the City of Philadelphia, that banned electronic arms—like “stun guns” and Tasers—demanding a repeal on threat of litigation.

Later that month, a representative of the City of Philadelphia’s Law Department contacted Mr. Stamboulieh and said that the City was considering its response. Then, in June, the City’s Law Department sent a copy of bill no. 170674 that was filed in response to the demand, which would effectively repeal the ban for adults and narrow the reach of the law to persons under 18 years of age.

“We thank Councilmember Jones for his leadership on this important issue,” said Brandon Combs, president of the Coalition and chairman of the Foundation. “City of Philadelphia residents and visitors can now exercise their Second Amendment right to keep and bear these important arms for self-defense.”

“The city’s hand on the issue was forced by a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling….and the threat of legal action from a gun rights group,” reported Philadelphia Magazine’s Joe Trinacria in an October 24, 2017, article, relating information told to him by Mayor Jim Kenny’s spokesperson, Laruen Hitt.

FPC and FPF are supporting a legal challenge to the State of New York’s total ban on electronic arms, a case helmed by Stamboulieh as well as Alan Beck of San Diego, and are working to repeal or strike down laws across the country that infringe on Second Amendment rights. Similar bans have been repealed or amended in Tacoma, WA; Westminster, MD; Annapolis, MD; New Orleans, LA; and the State of New Jersey.

FPC and FPF will continue their efforts in Pennsylvania by soon filing a “friend of the court” brief with the state’s Supreme Court regarding the right to keep and bear arms, people who carry firearms for self-defense, and the importance of the presumption of innocence.

Firearms Policy Coalition (www.firearmspolicy.org) is a 501(c)4 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPC’s mission is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially the fundamental, individual Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Firearms Policy Foundation (www.firearmsfoundation.org) is a 501(c)3 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPF’s mission is to defend the Constitution of the United States and the People’s rights, privileges and immunities deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition, especially the inalienable, fundamental, and individual right to keep and bear arms.