Staff Reports
The Nebraska mayors of Omaha and Lincoln, in particular, are enforcing executive orders that the Liberty Justice Center believes to be excessive. The organization has filed two lawsuits opposing local firearm restrictions that violate state legislation safeguarding the right to bear weapons.
Legislative Bill 77 of Nebraska was approved in April with the intention of preventing local governments from controlling weapons and establishing constitutional carry throughout the state. The mayors of Lincoln and Omaha issued executive orders prohibiting the possession of weapons on city property, including sidewalks and public parks, in defiance of this legislation. The City Council of Omaha went one step further and enacted laws outlawing bump stocks and "ghost gun" parts and production. The City Council of Lincoln has decided to keep its gun laws in place.
Liberty Justice Center challenges gun control laws in Omaha and Lincolnhttps://t.co/J91uLq58aC
— The Center Square (@thecentersquare) December 19, 2023
The Liberty Justice Center is currently pursuing legal challenges to these presidential orders and ordinances, claiming that state law renders them void. Attorney General of Nebraska Michael Hilgers has endorsed this position, highlighting that executive orders issued by the mayors are superseded by state law and that restrictions on carrying a gun in public is a violation of the Second Amendment.
Over 10,000 gun owners in the state are represented by the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association (NFOA), which is represented in several court cases by the Liberty Justice Center. The NFOA is committed to defending Nebraskans' rights and focuses on offering information, instruction, and training on safe weapon use. The mayors of Lincoln and Omaha were chastised by Liberty Justice Center President Jacob Huebert for breaking state law, and he indicated his desire to have the executive orders and other local gun laws repealed. The president of the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association, Patricia Harrold, supports the Liberty Justice Center's position in support of the Constitution, state legislation, and the rights of Nebraskans.
In the District Courts of Lancaster County and Douglas County, Nebraska, the Liberty Justice Center filed NFOA v. Lincoln and NFOA v. Omaha, respectively. They are determined to fight these executive orders and laws, arguing that mayors and local councils will not be able to ignore state law and the Second Amendment without being confronted by legal action.
