New Law Prohibits Local Government From Restricting Private Property Gun Use

By Alexandra Olgin
Published: Thursday, April 17, 2014 - 4:56pm

A new law prohibits local governments from restricting gun use on private property. Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill into law Wednesday. Cities, counties and towns are no longer able to create laws that would regulate legal firearm usage on private land, as long as it's not within a quarter-mile of an occupied structure.

Charles Heller is a founder of the Arizona Citizens Defense League, a gun rights group.  He says this law doesn’t make anything that’s now illegal, legal.  

 “It restricts government from infringing on people’s rights to do lawful things. It’s not lawful to go crank off rounds inside a city limit. This doesn’t authorize that. What this does is it puts a lid on governments exceeding their authority,” Heller said. 

This bill originated after Yavapai County tried to restrict a rancher shooting on his own property. Nearly all of the Democrats in the legislature voted against the bill.

The law will go into effect in three months. Three other bills strengthening guns rights are on Brewer's desk.