Guns turned over during "buyback" events in Arizona may not be destroyed, according to a bill signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer.
This latest right afforded to firearms is what prompted the Daily Show's John Oliver to declare, "Arizona is such a great place to be a gun, just a [censored] place to be a person."
See also:
-Greg Stanton, Phoenix Mayor, Unveils Gun-Buyback Program
-Arizona Again on the Daily Show, This Time for "Protecting Guns From People"
Last year, Brewer signed a bill into law that prevents guns from being destroyed if they're forfeited or seized, forcing their sale to authorized dealers.
This year's bill, House Bill 2455, does the same thing for guns acquired during gun-buyback events, specifically defeating the purpose of gun-buyback events, in which people turn over guns they don't want to local governments and police departments in an effort to get the guns off the streets.
The bill specifically bans agencies from "facilitat[ing] the destruction of a firearm," with certain exemptions, so it looks like this could affect Phoenix's program, recently announced by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, in which the city works with a nonprofit, using private coin.
UPDATE: The law won't go into effect until after Phoenix's buyback program ends.
Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox recently wrote a letter to Brewer urging her to veto the bill, which apparently didn't win over Brewer.
"Supporters of HB 2455 argue that government resources should not be used to facilitate the destruction of guns, but I argue the very purpose of serving as a local elected official is to use tax dollars to efficiently meet the demands of our constituents," she wrote. "Gun buybacks do not violate the Second Amendment. They do not impact any resident who does not want to participate. They simply provide an option to citizens who believe their community will be a better place without more guns on the street."
Details on the bill can be found here.
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