Many Pennsylvania municipalities with homegrown gun laws are removing those ordinances from their books, now that they face the threat of lawsuits from membership groups, including the National Rifle Association.

Last year the Legislature passed a bill that opens cities, boroughs and townships to this type of litigation, saying that local laws affecting the ownership, use, transportation and transfer of firearms and ammunition were creating a patchwork of laws throughout the state. Lawmakers believe gun restrictions should be set uniformly by the state.

Many of these local ordinances deal with mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns, which are targeted at straw purchases, but some restrictions go farther. So far about 22 of the approximately 100 municipalities with stricter-than-state gun laws have acted to rescind them. Allentown has had an ordinance since 2008 requiring that owners report lost or stolen guns, but never enforced it. Late last year Mayor Ed Pawlowski asked city council to repeal it.

Several cities, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Lancaster, have sued the state, arguing that the state legislation was passed improperly. City officials say they need more stringent gun laws to deal with the flow of illegal guns and related crime.

Who's right? Should municipalities be able to pass gun restrictions in response to their needs? Should the NRA and other groups be allowed to sue them?

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