Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Attorney’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager & City Clerk
FROM:	R. Scott Wagner, Management Analyst Toni Wheeler, City Attorney
CC:	Jerry Little, Supervising City Prosecutor
Date:	May 22, 2013
RE:	City Code amendments – regulation of knives

Each year during the session of the Kansas legislature, City Attorney’s Office staff monitors legislation adopted for its potential impact on City operations or for possible amendments needed to the City of Lawrence Code.  Attached is House Bill 2033 which has been signed by the Governor and becomes effective July 1, 2013 upon its publication in the Kansas Statutes.  The bill makes several changes pertaining to the regulation of knives and similar type weapons.  Section 1 of the bill prohibits municipalities from enacting any ordinance relating to the possession, carrying, sale, use, etc. of a knife.  The City of Lawrence code has two sections that will need amending in order to make the code compliant with this legislation.  The attached Ordinance No. 8864 makes the following changes to the code.

• Chapter 14, section 14-406 pertains to the carrying of concealed weapons. Portions of this section regarding knives have been stricken.
• Chapter 14, section 14-408 governs the carrying of weapons in or near any bar. The code language pertaining to a “dangerous knife” has been stricken.

The remaining elements of these code sections will still be in effect.

Action Requested:

Adopt on first reading Ordinance No. 8864, pertaining to the carrying of knives in the City of Lawrence.