Drizzt
Member
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
February 18, 2003, Tuesday, BC cycle
7:24 AM Eastern Time
SECTION: State and Regional
LENGTH: 1051 words
HEADLINE: Senate panel endorses shooting range bill
DATELINE: TOPEKA, Kan.
BODY:
Cities and counties would be able to close shooting ranges that violate ordinances if they compensated the owners, under a bill endorsed Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The committee endorsed the measure on a voice vote, sending it to the entire Senate for debate.
The bill is an attempt to clarify a 2001 law that exempted shooting ranges from civil lawsuits or criminal prosecutions for noise pollution if they complied with standards set by the Department of Wildlife and Parks. The law prohibited local governments from using their power to condemn land to take over shooting ranges. But critics said the law was unclear about whether local governments could close shooting ranges if they violated safety or zoning ordinances.
"The cities have no way of making them comply with safety regulations," said committee Chairman John Vratil, R-Leawood. "This bill would solve that problem."
The bill is opposed by Kansas' Second Amendment Society, a gun rights group. During an earlier hearing on the measure, president Phil Journey said that if a range were not following state standards, the Department of Wildlife and Parks could take action.
February 18, 2003, Tuesday, BC cycle
7:24 AM Eastern Time
SECTION: State and Regional
LENGTH: 1051 words
HEADLINE: Senate panel endorses shooting range bill
DATELINE: TOPEKA, Kan.
BODY:
Cities and counties would be able to close shooting ranges that violate ordinances if they compensated the owners, under a bill endorsed Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The committee endorsed the measure on a voice vote, sending it to the entire Senate for debate.
The bill is an attempt to clarify a 2001 law that exempted shooting ranges from civil lawsuits or criminal prosecutions for noise pollution if they complied with standards set by the Department of Wildlife and Parks. The law prohibited local governments from using their power to condemn land to take over shooting ranges. But critics said the law was unclear about whether local governments could close shooting ranges if they violated safety or zoning ordinances.
"The cities have no way of making them comply with safety regulations," said committee Chairman John Vratil, R-Leawood. "This bill would solve that problem."
The bill is opposed by Kansas' Second Amendment Society, a gun rights group. During an earlier hearing on the measure, president Phil Journey said that if a range were not following state standards, the Department of Wildlife and Parks could take action.
