Local perspective on guns in park controversy
If that is the case, events like Riverbend and Night Fall may have to put a halt on banning gun owners with carry permits from entering the events with a gun.
According to state law, legal gun owners with carry permits are allowed to bring their weapons into parks. So the Attorney General said if events like Riverbend and Night Fall are held in public parks and public areas, then they are not exempt from the law that allows guns in parks.
Riverbend Executive Director Chip Baker says his organization will fight the law.
"It appears to be very irresponsible when you have large events in our community and our state. I would hope this is something they would revisit because it just doesn’t make sense," Baker said.
It’s also not making sense to state Senate Minority leader Lee Harris. He made statements to news media during an emergency call-in session from his Memphis office.
"If these new laws regarding guns and large crowded events are allowed to stand, some of these long standing festivals will have to consider ending or moving out of public parks," Harris said.
He went says that kind of move could have a negative impact on revenues a municipality earns from major events held in public parks.
"A few reasonable people will stop going to avoid the risk. Given the economic impact of some of these events among other considerations, we have to fix this."
WDEF contacted the attorney general’s office for a recorded interview but the request was denied.
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