After VCDL, GOA, and several individual Plaintiffs teamed up to sue Roanoke in January over their gun ban in parks and at permitted events, Roanoke has made some changes!
On February 5, 2024, Roanoke City Council voted to amend their Ordinance, effective immediately, to repeal the ban on firearms at permitted events or events otherwise requiring a permit!
In doing so, Roanoke City Council made clear that they believed their Ordinance was constitutional as previously written, but the change was necessary for "logistical" purposes. It is not immediately clear whether the change moots VCDL's case, as during the hearing, Counsel for the City made references to possible future re-enactment.
Either way, it appears that the challenge to the gun ban in Roanoke parks will continue for now.
The bottom line is that this is another victory for gun owners. Perhaps not the most satisfying outcome, but after getting challenged, and at least for the time being, Roanoke has acquiesced on their ban at permitted events, and the right to lawful self-defense with a firearm at those events has been restored.
Stay tuned for whether any other cities will come up with similar "logistical" reasons to change their Ordinances when VCDL sues them.
Here is the new ordinance with the changes in red:
https://roanokeva.portal.civicclerk.com/event/637/files/attachment/5890
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