Kentucky AG: Cities Can't Prevent Employees From Carrying Firearms on the Job

[Charlie T Waite]

Local municipalities in Kentucky with anti-gun political leaders could not prohibit their employees from not only bringing guns to their workplace in personal vehicles, but from carrying them in the course of their workday. Kentucky’s Attorney General Daniel Cameron released that opinion earlier in the week, based upon various state laws governing local jurisdictions’ ability to regulate firearms.

While the “opinion” lacks the force of law, it reflects the Attorney General’s position if litigation ensues in the matter. In other words, the Mayor of Louisville — the only city in Kentucky with a member of Michael Bloomberg’s “Mayors Against  Guns” — could not prohibit employees from having guns in the personal vehicles while at work. Or on their belts, for that matter, if the firearm is openly carried in a public building or concealed or openly carried elsewhere.

The AP has the story via the Richmond Register:

Kentucky’s local governments cannot prevent their employees from carrying weapons “at all times and places” while on duty, according to a state attorney general’s opinion released Monday.

In reaching that conclusion, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s office tied together various sections of Kentucky law governing the authority of local governments to regulate firearms.

Any such local authority is strictly limited, the attorney general’s office said in its review requested by the city of Ashland. State law allows local governments to prohibit concealed weapons in buildings they own, lease or control, the opinion said.

However, they cannot bar their employees from openly carrying firearms inside local government-owned buildings or possessing weapons — whether concealed or not — on public property that is not a building, including public parks, the opinion said. They also can’t be prevented from possessing firearms in their personal or local government-owned vehicles, it added.

“Synthesizing these statutory provisions, it is the attorney general’s opinion that the city may not prohibit its employees from carrying firearms ‘at all times and places’ while on duty as a city employee,” the five-page opinion said.

The opinion — written by Assistant Attorney General Aaron J. Silletto and signed by Cameron — does not carry the force of law. It reflected the gun-rights policies passed by the state’s legislature.

The review was requested by the Ashland city attorney in northeastern Kentucky. Several city employees petitioned the city manager for permission to carry firearms while on duty…

“The city may not prohibit its employees from: (a) open carrying firearms inside city-owned buildings; (b) possessing or carrying any firearms, whether concealed or carried openly, on public property that is not a ‘building’; (c) possessing, carrying or keeping firearms in their personal vehicles; or (d) possessing or carrying any firearms in city-owned vehicles,” the opinion said.

Given Kentucky’s liberal mindset on firearms ownership and possession, why is it they don’t have Chicago-style violence on their streets?  Or 673 homicides in a single city? How is it that even possible?

Kentucky recognizes and values of the lives of its municipal employees and as such, allows them to carry the tools to defend their lives or the lives of other innocents from violent attack. “Civilized” cities like Chicago and New York Citywon’t do that, and they see orgies of violent crime. Where would you rather live?