[JURIST] The National Rifle Association (NRA) [advocacy website] has filed a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] against the city of Pittsburgh, alleging local gun laws violate a state law that restricts local regulation of firearms and ammunition. 18 Pa CS § 6120 [text] states “No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.” A new Pennsylvania statute, signed into law in November by Governor Tom Corbett, became effective last week and provides standing [WP report] for any group with an in-state member, such as the NRA, to challenge [AP report] local gun ordinances, even if the group has not suffered specific harm. The NRA filed companion suits against two other cities in the US state of Pennsylvania: Philadelphia and Lancaster.

Gun control has been the center of attention since the Newtown, Connecticut shooting [WSJ report] in Decembe 2012. In March 2013 Attorney General Eric Holder [official website] spoke before Congress [JURIST report] urging the federal legislature to pass gun control legislation. Also in March 2013 the Maryland Senate approved a bill [JURIST report] that would make it harder to get a gun license. In January 2013 US President Barack Obama announced that he signed 23 executive orders [JURIST report] to strengthen existing gun laws, as well as put pressure on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. The previous day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo [official website] signed legislation [JURIST report] that imposed tighter restrictions on gun and ammunition sales, bans any magazine that can hold more than seven rounds and implements instant background checks on all ammunition purchases at the time of sale.