Bump stocks and other devices that make semiautomatic weapons fire much more rapidly will be banned in Lincoln beginning May 1, under a city ordinance that was adopted on a 6-0 vote Monday night.
The decision puts Lincoln in a unique position — among a handful of states and cities — that ban selling and possessing the gun accessories.
The one-month delay between the decision this week and the May 1 start of the ban will give Lincoln residents time to get rid of the devices, said Councilwoman Leirion Gaylor Baird, who sponsored the ban with Councilwoman Jane Raybould.
The ban ends a loophole that allows people to buy and own devices that can turn a semiautomatic weapon into a machine gun-like weapon, she said.
"I am glad we in Lincoln are moving forward to protect our neighbors and our children. Because people are tired of waiting for the federal government to get this done," said Gaylor Baird.
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President Donald Trump has called for the Justice Department to ban the devices, and the agency will soon start a 90-day public comment period on a proposed ban as part of the lengthy rule-making process.
Several council members pointed out the bump stock ban is largely symbolic and that gun violence is a complex issue.
There have been no known crimes committed with bump stocks or trigger cranks in Lincoln or in Nebraska, and most law enforcement personnel hadn’t heard of bump stocks before the Las Vegas shooting in October, said councilwoman Cyndi Lamm.
Bump stocks are not the problem, she said. The problem is the condition of the human heart, and a culture that lacks appreciation of the true value of every human life, a culture where people feel depressed, angry and alone, and a culture where bullying is prevalent, she said.
Lamm said that by passing the legislation "we are really only making ourselves feel better" and are not addressing the real problems.
Councilman Carl Eskridge also acknowledged we live in a troubled world, a dangerous world that keeps coming closer to us in our homes.
The mass shootings help to create fears and anxieties so that "no place seems safe," he said.
This legislation is limited in scope, but it is a step in the right direction, a step to make this community safer, he said.
Raybould agreed there are many complex issues that need to be addressed. But this ban allows Lincoln to be — and she quoted her late father — "the city of law and order."
This is a complicated issue that requires people to be better parents, neighbors and friends, and requires a multifaceted approach, Gaylor Baird said.
Several council members also pointed out bump stocks and trigger cranks are accessories, not weapons themselves, and therefore do not fall under the Second Amendment protection.
"The council members who have introduced the ban have assured us in these hearings that they consider this an accessory only and are not intending to move to take away your right to bear arms,” Lamm said.
The new crime will be a misdemeanor, with a possible punishment of up to a $500 fine and/or six months in jail, said Jeff Kirkpatrick, city attorney.
What about people passing through Lincoln, who get a speeding ticket and might have one of these devices in the car, asked Councilman Bennie Shobe.
The officer would have the discretion to issue a warning ticket, said Tom Casady, public safety director. Some officers would issue a warning ticket; others would not, he said.
Six council members, two Republicans and four Democrats, supported the ban. Councilman Jon Camp, a Republican, was not at Monday's meeting.