NRA Pulls Convention Out of Columbus, Ohio
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The National Rifle Association said Monday it is pulling its 2007 national convention out of Columbus because of the city's ban on assault weapons (search).
The City Council passed a ban July 12 outlawing the sale or possession of semiautomatic rifles with pistol grips and detachable magazines.
The gun owners' organization had planned to hold its annual three-day event, expected to draw as many as 60,000 people, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
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"The party is canceled because last week your City Council unanimously voted to revoke the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens in Columbus by banning perfectly legal firearms," NRA (search) Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre (search) said.
City officials said the NRA had been told there was a potential for the ban.
"Public policy decisions — especially those affecting the safety of our citizens — cannot be influenced by any narrow interest group that happens to visit," Council President Matt Habash and councilman Michael Mentel said in a statement.
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Federal lawsuits have overturned two previous attempts by Columbus to ban assault weapons. The latest law attempts to avoid that by spelling out a distinction between legal sporting weapons and military-style assault weapons.
The NRA also considered Portland, Ore., and Reno, Nev., for the 2007 event.