Kansas Libertarian party signals challenge to Prairie Village open carry ban

from the Prairie Village Post

The Kansas Libertarian Party on Tuesday signaled its intent to challenge the constitutionality of Prairie Village’s ban on the open carry of firearms in public places.

In a letter addressed to Mayor Ron Shaffer, member of the City Council, City Administrator Quinn Bennion and City Attorney Catherine Logan, Libertarian Party leaders assert that their review of the city’s firearms ordinance finds it “is in violation of the Kansas Constitution.”
The Libertarians argue that an opinion issued by Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt implies that cities and counties cannot regulate in any way citizens’ ability to carry unloaded firearms. Download the entire letter here.
“The Libertarian party is requesting that Prairie Village respond with proposed, simple changes to your City weapons ordinances to reflect the above interpretations of State firearm laws and the opinions of the Kansas Attorney General. Wichita and Overland Park have recently changed their weapons ordinances to comply with Kansas state laws and constitutional mandates,” the letter reads. “Furthermore, we believe, if forced to do so, the State of Kansas would support us in this constitutional matter because of its effect on such a large population group. Obviously, should the District Attorney or Attorney General find they agree with our assessment, they would have the opportunity to take necessary corrective action.”
The Prairie Village City Council last week adopted a standard set of language defining crimes in the city, which continued the city’s existing ban on open carry.