MISSOULA — City officials are trying to determine what to do next after the Montana Supreme Court overruled Missoula's gun ordinance.
Tuesday's 5-0 ruling states that the city gun ordinance is unconstitutional. Prior to the decision, Missoula was the only city in the state requiring background checks for firearm sales.
City leaders that spearheaded the ordinance say they are saddened by the decision, and are waiting for the dust to settle before anything else is done.
Officials say the case will not go back to the Missoula County District Court, because the state Supreme Court overruled their opinion.
The ordinance caused major debate in town when it was first passed, Missoula City Council President Bryan Von Lossberg, who helped introduce the measure, says he's not sure what the city will do next.
"I guess what I would say to folks who are on the other side is that we have common ground in saving lives. We need to work harder on figuring out how we build on that common ground to start implementing solutions that we know can make a difference," he told MTN News.
Von Lossberg adds that background checks have prevented the sale of 20,000 guns.
