"I would hope that this doesn't cause any changes," Bucks County Commissioner Charles Martin told Action News. "We have a wonderful park system here in Bucks County."
Martin says the board had no choice but to overturn the law prohibiting guns in county parks. It is a law he voted to implement back in 1997.
A few days ago, some local gun rights activists petitioned the board, telling commissioners that their law conflicted with a Pennsylvania law that states,
"No county, municipality, or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of [legally owned] firearms."
"The state recommended to the commissioners that we make a change to our park regulations. And last week we did just that," said Martin.
Meanwhile there is an unusual twist to this story. A county measure prohibiting the discharge of a firearm in a county park does NOT conflict with state law. So while you can now legally bring a gun to a county park, shooting it there is illegal.
Most of the people we spoke to at Core Creek Park in Middletown Township told us the whole thing makes no sense.
"There's really no two ways about it," said Tony Delbridge of Richboro, Pa. "Naturally, discharging a firearm, people can get injured, even innocent bystanders."
But a few people said people who legally own firearms are simply out to protect themselves and their families.
"A lot of crime is happening and the cops can't be everywhere," said Marty Griffin of Levittown, Pa. "So it's good when you have a family and all to have a little bit of protection. So I think it's a real good thing to have."
