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LA City Contractors Must Disclose Ties To NRA, Council Says

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – An ordinance requiring contractors with the city of Los Angeles to disclose any ties they have to the National Rifle Association was approved unanimously Tuesday by the city council.

The ordinance, which awaits Mayor Eric Garcetti's signature, does not ban NRA-linked contractors from doing business with the city, but requires them to disclose any contracts or sponsorships they have with the gun rights advocacy group.

The NRA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but sent a letter to the City Council through a law firm threatening to sue if the ordinance was approved.

Last October, the council unanimously approved the motion directing the city attorney to draft the ordinance. The motion was written by Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell. The Budget and Finance Committee approved the ordinance last week before sending it to the full council.

"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.

O'Farrell's motion does not state if the city currently has any contractors with ties to the NRA.

Los Angeles has taken on several similar weapons issues in recent years.

In August, Councilman Mitch Englander introduced a motion with would make possessing, downloading or distributing a blueprint for 3D firearm a misdemeanor in the city of L.A.

Last year, the council was forced to repeal a longtime ban on the sale of "ultracompact" handguns. The ban, which was enacted in 2001, prevented the sale of firearms with a length less that 6.75 inches or a height less than 4.5 inches within city limits.

The NRA and California Rifle & Pistol Association had long been opposed to the ban, and threatened legal action if it was not overturned, arguing that state law allowed the sale of some of the weapons and preempted the local ordinance.

In 2015, the council approved a ban on high-capacity gun magazines with more than 10 rounds.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

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