Supervisors ask attorney to study whether county can limit use of convention center for gun show
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Summary
A supervisor raised concerns about firearms sold at a recurring gun show and the possibility that certain firearms or modifications could contribute to local gun violence; the board asked the county attorney to research whether the county can restrict facility use or otherwise limit events hosted at the convention center.
Supervisor Marla Brooks told the board she was worried about weapons sold at a recurring county gun show and what is being brought back into the community: "My biggest concern is that we need to identify what guns are being sold at this trade show…if it's guns that's gonna go towards killing people in our community, we need to put a limitation on what can be sold in our county."
Brooks said Glocks are commonly used in shootings and voiced concern about devices she referred to as "switchers" that can modify weapons after purchase. She clarified that she was not claiming illegal weapons were being sold at the show but urged the board to investigate whether the show contributes to weapons circulating locally.
The board and the county attorney discussed legal limits. The attorney noted federal law governs what weapons may be sold and that the county cannot simply supersede federal statutes; however, the attorney also advised the board that it can examine whether to limit use of county facilities for particular events. The chair directed the attorney to research options and bring a proposed policy to the board; the chair said staff would prepare a county facility-use policy for supervisors to review.
What’s next: the county attorney will prepare legal guidance on whether the county may (a) restrict the types of firearms sold at events held on county property or (b) limit facility usage by event type, and will present policy language for the board’s consideration.