Gorton told reporters Tuesday that, while an argument could be made for more city-level control over gun laws, that could result in a patchwork of rules — and most of the power still rests with the state’s GOP-led legislature.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said his city is disabling confiscated firearms, but is pressing for the ability to destroy the weapons.
"My administration has already taken action to remove the firing pin before turning confiscated guns over to the state because that's all that the current law allows us to do," the mayor said.
Asked about that move, Mayor Gorton said she believes even disabling the weapons oversteps current state law.
"I think we're there right now," Gorton said. "It's clearly not legal for us to disable guns or for us to destroy guns and we try to comply with the law."
According to Greenberg, under Kentucky rules, the weapon used in Monday’s Old National Bank shooting will likely eventually be auctioned off. Gorton said she’s aware of efforts to change that policy.
"I know there's a big push out there and a lot of people would be supportive of a law that allowed our police to destroy those weapons, but most of them go back on the street," the Lexington mayor explained.
Any move in the direction of gun control would run counter trends in the Republican-led legislature, which recently voted to make the commonwealth a so-called “Second Amendment Sanctuary” state — prohibiting local law enforcement from enforcing federal firearm bans.
