Thursday, July 7, 2011

D.C. Gov't May Help Residents Buy Guns

For several months, the only FFL in the District of Columbia, a man named Charles Sykes, has been without a business location, having lost his lease. He has been unable to find a new lease.

Sykes said Thursday that city regulations have made it very difficult for him to find a new place of business. Zoning rules demand that he locate no closer than 300 feet from schools, libraries or certain other landmarks.

“I wish the District would assist me more with trying to find an office,” he said. “I’m just a little disappointed that I’m not getting any encouragement or support.”

Sykes says he has proposed several addresses to the city, but to date they have all been rejected. “I thought [finding a location] was going to be the easy part,” he said. “This has been a stumbling block.”

He said he has no estimate on when he might return to business.

Three hundred feet?! Dude, in Chicago they require 1,000 feet!

While Sykes’s business in on hiatus, D.C. residents have been prevented de facto from buying guns, which has opened the city to lawsuits. In late May, Virginia lawyer Alan Gura sued the city in Alexandria’s federal court on behalf of three District residents who have purchased guns legally but are unable to transfer them into the city.

God bless Alan Gura!

So D.C. City Council is considering a bill to allow the city government to operate as an FFL.

Details in WaPo.



3 comments:

Old NFO said...

Well isn't THAT special... I wonder whose name is going to be on the license??? And I wonder how much they are going to charge for transfers???

Turk Turon said...

I expect that this legislation will be "pending" for a long, long time. I don't see the District gov't really wanting to hold an FFL, but rather using this as another obstacle to the Second Amendment.

Drang said...

I don't blame the city government for not wanting to be an FFL holder. Perhaps they should make a deal with Mr. Sykes, desk space in the precinct house or city hall, for a nominal fee.