No plans to change gun ordinance

GREENLEAF -- The U.S. Supreme Court today heard arguments related to a handgun ban in Washington, D.C.

Our nation's capitol banned handguns back in the 1970s because of a rising crime rate.

And a ruling on the D.C. case could provide the first definition of the Second Amendment since it was written more than 200 years ago

The court will try to answer these three questions.

- Does the Second Amendment protect individual rights?

- Is this right subject to "reasonable" restrictions by the government?

- And is Washington, D.C.'s law unconstitutional because it forbids the private possession of handguns?

A decision on this case will come in June and it could have an impact on gun control laws across the country.

The decision will impact laws in Idaho and in particular, perhaps the laws in one small Canyon County town.

A couple of years ago, the Greenleaf City Council passed an ordinance encouraging people to have guns in their homes.

Greenleaf residents enjoy the right they have to bear arms.

This ordinance came about in 2006 as part of an emergency plan the city was putting together.

As part of this multi-page plan, one paragraph encourages heads of households to have, and know how to properly use, a firearm.

City Clerk Lee Belt says as part of the western culture people try to take care of themselves and since law enforcement can't be everywhere, it is good for people to have guns for protection.

“Sometimes you don’t have police protection when you need it, sometimes when bad things happen your resources are strained and you are not able to see your normal first responders respond as quickly as they are normally able to,” said Belt.

Since Greenleaf's ordinance doesn't mandate guns in homes, but rather encourages them, Belt doesn't think the Supreme Court’s ruling, whatever it may be, will affect them.

Belt says someone would have to file a separate complaint to have the ordinance removed.

He doesn't know how many Greenleaf residents currently have guns, but believes it is a majority of the people who live there.

Since the ordinance passed in 2006, Belt says they have not seen an increase in crime.