The Anchorage Assembly threw out proposals for two firearm-related ordinances at a special meeting Wednesday, and instead opted to promote gun safety.
One ordinance would’ve made parents legally liable if their child brought a gun to school.The other would’ve mandated that people report missing or stolen firearms within 48 hours.
The goal was to help address growing tension in schools related to gun violence, said East Anchorage Assembly member Karen Bronga, a former educator who introduced both proposed ordinances.
“I'm not anti-gun, but I do know that when you look at the numbers of firearm tragedies in Alaska and Anchorage, something has to be done,” Bronga said.
The proposals faced legal questions, though, particularly related to parental liability, Bronga said. There also doesn’t seem to be interest from fellow Assembly members to move forward on them, she said.
Bronga instead drafted a resolution calling for greater partnerships on gun safety between city agencies.
“It would ask for a public education campaign about gun safety, parental responsibility, coordinated partnership with ASD and APD, violence interruption, programming for schools with increased documented incidents of fighting or deadly weapons confiscation, training of school staff on threat assessment and inclusion of students in a bullying prevention campaign,” Bronga said.
The resolution also calls on state lawmakers to establish a student safety council and asks for help hiring more counselors for schools and advocating for trauma-informed gun legislation.
Multiple Assembly members pushed for the resolution to call for non-punitive measures, aimed at educating parents, rather than punishing them.
Ultimately, the resolution passed unanimously after a few amendments from other members. Bronga’s original ordinances were postponed indefinitely.
