LA Moves Forward With Motion Requiring City Contractors To Disclose NRA Ties

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – City contractors who have ties to the National Rifle Association could soon be required to disclose them, under a motion passed unanimously Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council.

The motion, approved by a 10-0 vote, does not ban NRA-linked contractors from doing business with the city, but would require them to disclose any contracts or sponsorships they have with the gun rights advocacy group.

The NRA did not immediately responded to a request for comment.

The vote on the NRA motion, which was written by Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, directs the city attorney to draft an ordinance outlining the new disclosure rules, which will need to be voted on by the City Council.

"For the sake of transparency, the city's residents and stakeholders deserve to know how the city's public funds are being spent, and whether taxpayer funds are being spent on contractors that have contractual or sponsorship ties with the NRA," the motion states.

O'Farrell's motion does not state if the city currently has any contractors with ties to the NRA.

Los Angeles has taken on several similar weapons issues in recent years.

In August, Councilman Mitch Englander introduced a motion with would make possessing, downloading or distributing a blueprint for 3D firearm a misdemeanor in the city of L.A.

Last year, the council was forced to repeal a longtime ban on the sale of "ultracompact" handguns. The ban, which was enacted in 2001, prevented the sale of firearms with a length less that 6.75 inches or a height less than 4.5 inches within city limits.

The NRA and California Rifle & Pistol Association had long been opposed to the ban, and threatening legal action if it was not overturned, arguing that state law allowed the sale of some of the weapons and preempted the local ordinance.

In 2015, the council approved a ban on high-capacity gun magazines with more than 10 rounds.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)