In an effort to ensure public shooting ranges in Arizona, like the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, remain accessible to the city's firearms enthusiasts and maintain transparent governance, State Representative Quang Nguyen has taken a legislative stand. Nguyen, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, has introduced House Bill 2763, which introduces an extra layer of oversight for the closure of any state-owned shooting range near large cities. Clearly intent on not allowing these public spaces to be shut down without due process, the bill mandates legislative approval in conjunction with the usual public hearings and gubernatorial action.
Given its status as one of Phoenix's top Points of Pride and the largest public shooting facility in the nation, the Ben Avery Shooting Facility's future could hinge on this proposed legislation. The bill's relevance follows a backdrop of concerns that the facility, which has been operational long before the surrounding development sprang up, might be subjected to a "quiet shutdown". It is under Representative Nguyen's eye that this place for recreational shooting and firearms training be safeguarded, facilitating a space where, according to Nguyen, "shooting wouldn't stop" but rather spill into "unregulated desert areas". He sees this potential shift as posing "serious public safety risks and environmental damage," if not kept in check.
Nguyen's proactive legislative push comes with the understanding that these facilities provide more than just a place to fire weapons; they are centers for educating on firearm safety, hunter education, and catering to competitive shooting and law enforcement qualification. In a statement acquired by the Arizona Legislature, Nguyen assertively notes that “Public shooting ranges that belong to the people of Arizona should not be shut down by administrative fiat or behind closed doors” and that any decision to close a facility should be made in "full public, with full legislative approval."
A Republican representing Legislative District 1 in Yavapai County, Nguyen's legislation aims to protect a cultural and educational pillar of the Arizona shooting community. In striving to keep such facilities open and under public purview, he's perhaps also firing a warning shot across the bow of anyone who might seek to close them without recourse to the voices of the citizens they serve. The bill, if turned into law, hopes to ensure that such decisions are not made in the shadows but in the broad daylight of public scrutiny. "If this range were ever closed," Nguyen has projected an image of a future where safety takes a backseat, and responsibility is shrugged off.
