Molly McKasson, who served on the Tucson City Council, is trying again to put a stop to gun shows at the Pima County Fairgrounds
McKasson and a nurse who treated people wounded in the Jan. 8th on Thursday asked the Southwestern Fair Commission to voluntarily stop scheduling gun shows. The commission is a privately-run nonprofit that has handled the day-to-day operations at the Pima County Fairgrounds since the 1970s.
McKasson, who left the Tucson City Council in 1997, and Nancy Bowman said the commissionย would be exempt from a state law that ties the hands of political entities โ like Pima County โ from putting additional restrictions on gun shows.
"They could get out of (holding) gun shows because they are a nonprofit," McKasson contends.
Six months ago, McKasson failed to convince the Pima County Board of Supervisors to require background checks on all gun sales held at the county-owned fairgrounds. The state law was the primary concern voiced by county supervisors.
A gun show, organized by the Crossroads of the West Gun Shows, will be held at the fairgrounds this weekend.
McKasson and Bowman made their comments during a call to the audience during the commission's meeting. They was opposition from gun owners who were alerted to their appearance by one of the gun show organizers.
Bob Templeton, of Crossroads of the West Gun Show, sent an email with the subject line "Local liberals attack Pima County Gun Show." It asked people to attend the commission meeting.
"The Pima County Fair Board is going to hear from a well-organized group of local liberals who object to our First and Second Amendment Rights to hold gun shows at the Fairgrounds," Templeton wrote in his email. "We need you to be there. Please come and speak in support of our right to lawfully assemble and to defend our right to continue to have the gun shows."
Templeton estimated 100 supporters went to the Thursday's meeting to support the gun shows.
The commission took no action on the pair's comments, because they spoke during call to the audience and it was not part of the public meeting agenda.
