Charleston mayor speaks out against gun provision in Home Rule bill

Charleston Mayor Danny Jones doesn’t know what the city is going to do in regards to the Home Rule bill and the added gun provision.

“I don’t know what our recourse will be. I’m not sure we really have one,” said Jones. “I think we’re going to have to probably take what’s coming to us because that’s the way the Legislature operates.”

Charleston is one of four cities in West Virginia currently participating in the home rule pilot project, which expires in a couple months.

Lawmakers last weekend passed a five year extension of Home Rule, but the bill came with an added gun provision. A provision that requires those cities that apply for home rule to drop all gun ordinances already in place.

If Charleston was to stay with home rule for another five years, it would have to get rid of an ordinance requiring a three-day waiting period for all handgun purchases. Gun buyers are limited to one handgun in a 30-day period and must go through a background check.

Mayor Jones took a moment during Monday night’s finance committee meeting to voice his displeasure of the gun provision. Jones accused lawmakers of not thinking about the interests of West Virginians.

“They passed seven gun bills this year and they may pass fourteen next year,” said Jones. “They are not going to act in the interest of the people that live in this state, they’re going to act in the people that have the money that run these different gun organizations.”

The idea of challenging the constitutionality of the home rule bill amendment in court was brought up but Jones didn’t see a move like that being realistic.

“We are a political subdivision of the state of West Virginia and you can’t sue yourself,” said Jones. “It just won’t work.”

Charleston leaders are attempting to pass a half-cent municipal sales tax, which will be done under the current home rule powers. The tax would be used to pay for improvements and the expansion of the Civic Center.

Jones didn’t know if they would opt out of home rule if they were able to get the tax in place before the added gun provision would take effect.

Jones told council members that it has been a tough couple months and he doesn’t see it getting any better down the road.