CCRKBA SAYS SEATTLE MAYOR COULD LEARN FROM SMALL TOWN COLLEAGUE

BELLEVUE, WA – Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels could take a lesson from Montesano Mayor Ron Schillinger, who has properly vetoed an ordinance that would have banned firearms in city parks, even those carried by legally-licensed citizens, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

The ordinance was passed June 10 by the Montesano City Council on a narrow 4-3 vote, one day after Nickels announced that he plans to ban guns from all Seattle city property, even if a citizen has a current concealed pistol license, or if they are legally carrying openly. The anti-gun Seattle mayor said he would issue an executive order to accomplish his clearly illegal act, which violates the state’s preemption statute and ignores a specific statutory exemption from such prohibitions for citizens licensed to carry concealed handguns.

“Ron Schillinger clearly understands that a municipal government lacks the authority to override state law,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “Washington cities, be they large or small, simply cannot ignore the law, or the state constitution. Montesano residents should be proud of their mayor for living up to his oath of office.

“On the other hand,” he continued, “Seattle residents should be appalled at the arrogance of their headline grabbing mayor. His plan to issue an executive order as though it were some kind of royal decree not only defies state law, but also allows him to dance around city council review.

“Every citizen in Washington State should be alarmed that Mayor Nickels believes he can govern by fiat,” Gottlieb stated. “We encourage Evergreen State gun owners to flood city hall and especially Nickels’ office, with calls, e-mails and letters to remind him that he is a mayor, not a monarch, and that he must follow the law, not make up his own.

“We will be watching closely to see whether Mayor Nickels carries through with his threat against law-abiding gun owners,” Gottlieb warned, “and we will react accordingly. Meanwhile, we think could learn something about governance from Ron Schillinger.”