Amodei introduces bill to limit wearing guns in public

Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, says it's time to put some restrictions on yet another remnant of the Old West -- the practice of wearing or carrying guns in public.

Amodei said SB29 is a response to an incident in Laughlin in April 2002 when violence erupted at an annual motorcycle riders' gathering between rival gangs.

More than 100 members of the Hell's Angels and Mongols fought with guns and other weapons. Three were killed and a dozen hospitalized.

Amodei said those wearing guns at the rally, which attracted some 80,000 people, were within the law because it is legal in Nevada to wear an unconcealed weapon. But he said large numbers of people wearing guns at certain events is a prescription for trouble.

"Nobody's breaking the law here, but we had 5,000 people packing heat and that's bad odds," he said.

SB29 would allow city councils and county commissioners to pass ordinances restricting people from carrying firearms at special events or gatherings attended by more than 500 people.

Amodei said the bill was requested by Southern Nevada authorities who say under existing Nevada law, they have no power to prevent large numbers of people from showing up at events wearing, for example, a Western style holster containing a six-shooter.

The bill was referred to the Senate Government Affairs Committee for study.