Guns in Parks Law Signed: Going into effect in February
Posted on | May 24, 2009 | No Comments
President Barack Obama signed the gun law without comment Friday as part of a measure creating new rules for the credit card industry.
A spokeswoman for the Interior Department said that because the credit card law won’t take effect until nine months after it is signed, the gun measure also will be delayed.
Spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said the Interior Department will follow Congress’s directive and put the new firearms law into effect in late February 2010.
Until then, rules adopted under the Reagan administration will remain in place. The rules severely restrict guns in the national parks, generally requiring that guns be locked or stored in a glove compartment or trunk.
“As Interior prepares to implement the new law, the department will work to understand and interpret its implications for our national parks and wildlife refuges, with public safety and the safety of our employees as our foremost consideration,” Barkoff said. “For the time being, the current Reagan administration regulations governing possession of firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges remain in place.”
The Interior Department’s decision drew immediate criticism from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., the chief sponsor of the gun measure.
Spokesman John Hart said Coburn will offer the gun amendment to other bills in order to implement the decision as quickly as possible.
From Associated Press
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