In the ongoing debate over gun rights, Arizona State Representative Quang Nguyen, who oversees the House Judiciary Committee, has called into question the legality of a local firearms ordinance in Sedona, which sets restrictions on the carrying and discharging of firearms in designated public spaces.
Nguyen, a Republican representative for Legislative District 1 and a known advocate for Second Amendment rights, sent a pointed letter to Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow and the City Council last week, asserting that Sedona Ordinance 12.30.090 might be at odds with Arizona state laws specifically, Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3108 prohibits cities from imposing their firearm regulations, this preemption is meant to create a uniform standard across the state but the Sedona ordinance, in Nguyen's view, blurs the lines with vague definitions like "trails" and "open space areas," which are not clearly defined and stretches beyond what the state law might allow, as reported by the Arizona House of Representatives.
The contested ordinance permits individuals with a CCW (Carry a Concealed Weapon) permit to be exempt from these restrictions, despite Arizona's legal provisions since 2010 that allow citizens to carry weapons openly, or concealed without a permit, subject to certain limitations. As per the Arizona House of Representatives, "I urge the City of Sedona to review Ordinance 12.30.090 to ensure it complies with Arizona law,” Representative Nguyen said. “It’s important that local ordinances do not infringe upon the
constitutional rights of Arizonans or conflict with state statutes," Nguyen added.
