COLUMBUS, Ohio — The talk over the nation's gun violence crisis is taking center stage in Columbus. It's part of a meeting of mayors from across the country.
Over the weekend, hundreds of mayors from cities across the country will convene to discuss strategies to combat the problem and share what works where they live, and what doesn’t.
A lot of the conversation right out of the gate Friday morning during a press conference was about the political divide over gun laws and preemption.
Here in Columbus, Mayor Andrew Ginther has been vocal about what he calls “reckless and dangerous policies” like stand your ground and permitless carry.
“If state legislature doesn't have the courage to take these issues on and do what they know they need to do, follow the data, look at the research, just get out of our way. And let us protect our city and our community,” said Mayor Ginther.
In Missouri, local law enforcement are banned from enforcing federal gun laws.
“In some of our cities we have elected to tell the police to just do what they were doing anyway,” said Quinton Lucas, Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri.
Some cities, like Kansas City, will take the risk of legal action from the state.
"Sometimes the real issue isn't just who runs things at the state capitol, it's local control and it is us having our voices and our ability to make some determination. Those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution,” Lucas said.
Last month, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced a lawsuit against the state of Ohio that he says would allow law enforcement and prosecutors to enforce gun safety measures and take actions to improve public safety around Columbus.
Mayor Ginther said at previous mayors’ meetings he learned strategies for addressing the mental health crisis - which lead to alternative intervention methods used in the city today.
Now the focus is largely on gun violence and he expects to learn from others and their experiences with it in their cities.
Other topics on the agenda of this weekend’s event include small business development, immigration, and climate change.