Los Angeles city council passes ordinance requiring contractors to disclose ties with NRA
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a unanimous decision, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday passed an ordinance that requires companies who do work with the city to disclose if they have any ties to the National Rifle Association.
The ordinance – which follows similar ones passed by the council requiring contractors to disclose any involvement in the construction of President Trump’s proposed border wall and any past investments in or profits from slavery – has already drawn protests from gun rights activists and threats of a lawsuit.
“Politicians are free to disagree with the NRA’s pro-freedom, firearm safety, and self-reliance message, but they aren’t free to censor it — as this would do when NRA supporters drop their NRA memberships for fear of losing their livelihood from being on this blacklist,” NRA attorney Chuck Michel told the Los Angeles Times. “This is modern day McCarthyism, and my clients are confident no judge will let it stand.”
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According to a letter sent earlier this month to the city, the NRA plans to file suit against the city – arguing that the ordinance violates the First Amendment and is “an unconstitutional effort to restrict and chill an individual’s right to associate and express their political beliefs.”
The law does offer a number of exemptions, such as ones relating to the city’s pension funds and other investment agreements.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell spearheaded the effort to pass the legislation, which still awaits Mayor Eric Garcetti’s signature.
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“For the sake of transparency, the city’s residents and stakeholders deserve to know how the city’s public funds are being spent, and whether taxpayer funds are being spent on contractors that have contractual or sponsorship ties with the NRA,” the motion states, according to CBS News.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The ordinance comes on the heels of a number of gun measures taken up by the city council. In August, a motion was introduced making it a misdemeanor offense in the city to possess, download or distribute a blueprint for 3D firearms in the city of L.A.