Corinne S Kennedy

The Desert Sun

Palm Springs City Council discussed a controversial firearms ordinance Wednesday night that has polarized residents and, if approved in its final form, could result in a lawsuit from the National Rifle Association.

The council voted 3-2 in favor of the measure, which will now come up for a second reading and final decision at the next council meeting.

According to the measure:

Residents would have 48 hours -- after its absence was discovered -- to report a missing or stolen gun to police;

In their homes, gun owners will need to disable firearms with a trigger lock or keep them in a locked container unless they are in their immediate possession; and

Require those with concealed carry permits who keep a gun in their car to keep it in a locked container.

The proposed ordinance also institutes a fine of up to $1,000 per day, per violation.

A total of 23 people spoke on the issue before council Wednesday night -- 15 opposed the plan, while eight were in favor.

Palm Springs council roundup: Gun control to shopping carts

Rabbi David Lazar of Temple Isaiah said that since he had lived in Israel, he understood the need for guns, but also the danger. He encouraged council members to vote in favor of the ordinance.

“I am a true believer in rights,” Lazar said. “But the greatest right is the right to life.”

Andrew Hirsch, wearing a “Gun Owners for Trump” button, presented the council with a copy of the job description for the chief of police, pointing out a section that says the chief should “analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions and implement recommendations in support of goals.”

He asked council members if they believe they have more experience and knowledge about such matters than the city's police chief.

“The prior City Council was known for corruption,” he said. “From tonight’s firearms regulation, to Uber/Lyft drivers, to the rights of property owners, this City Council is earning a hallmark of using its powers to restrict the freedoms of law-abiding people.”

Showdown over gun control vote in Palm Springs

Dori Smith, valley leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, lauded the council for its leadership in putting forth this proposal.

“We’re simply asking for safety first and saving lives,” Smith said.

She talked about incidences of accidental shootings involving children who picked up a loaded gun that was left unattended in a home or a car. As she talked she held up a picture of 3-year-old Alexis Mercer, a Louisiana toddler who shot and killed herself last year when her father left a gun out after cleaning it.

Councilman J.R. Roberts said he -- as a gun owner -- supported the ordinance.

“If somebody in a moment of hopelessness when looking for a gun in a house, much like youths have in the past, couldn't gain access to a gun and doesn't go on a shooting spree with it, it was worth it,” Roberts said.

Councilwoman Ginny Foat said she was uncomfortable voting for a law she herself wouldn’t follow. Foat said she keeps a gun in her nightstand and had no intention of locking it up.

"I think it's very difficult to legislate responsibility,” she said. “If we can't measure it, what's the point of doing this ordinance?"

Foat and Councilman Chris Mills were the two "nay" votes.

The issue first came up at a July council meeting and was immediately met with protests and scorn from local gun owners who said they believed the measure constitutes government overreach.

A lawyer for the NRA sent an open letter to city officials warning them to “tread lightly.” The letter referred to numerous lawsuits specific California cities have been slapped with after those cities passed extensive gun control measures.

NRA warns Palm Springs: You might get sued

Councilman Geoff Kors said he was not worried about the threat of a lawsuit, calling it a “typical tactic.” He said if it came to it he believed the city could find pro-bono representation to respond to such a suit.

He stressed the ordinance did not restrict residents' rights to have a gun or to keep them on their nightstands to feel safe at home.

“This does not prevent anyone from buying a gun. This does not prevent anyone from buying ammunition,” he said. “This is not about gun control; this is about gun safety.”

Conservative radio host Elise Richmond decried the phrase “gun safety” as a feel-good term and said she was concerned with anything that chipped away at her Second Amendment rights. She said she believes the ordinance is redundant and council should focus on more pressing issues in the city -- like homelessness -- and that the ordinance could potentially make people feel less safe.

“A gun is like a parachute,” she said. “If you need one and you don’t have one, you’ll never need one again.”

Richmond also said she believes gun ownership to be a feminist issue.

“Guns empower females,” Richmond said. “Empowering women is something I believe in.”

The original draft of the proposed ordinance, introduced in July, was more extensive than what will be considered Wednesday. Council members removed various sections that would have duplicated recently passed state laws.

Corinne Kennedy covers the west valley for The Desert Sun. She can be reached atCorinne.Kennedy@DesertSun.com, on Twitter at @CorinneSKennedy or at 760-778-4625.