(Bloomberg) -- The National Rifle Association blocked a Los Angeles law that requires city contractors to disclose any business ties with the gun rights organization, with a judge ruling the ordinance may violate the group's free speech rights.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson in Los Angeles on Wednesday granted the NRA's request for a preliminary injunction that prevents the city from enforcing the ordinance until it's determined at trial whether it's legal.
“The text of the ordinance, the ordinance's legislative history, and the concurrent public statements made by the ordinance's primary legislative sponsor evince a strong intent to suppress the speech of the NRA,” the judge said.
The judge cited a statement from the ordinance's sponsor urging Los Angeles to “rid itself” of any relationship with organizations that support the NRA as evidence of a potential free-speech violation.
The city attorney's office will review the ruling and consult with city council on the next steps, spokesman Rob Wilcox said in an email.
NRA Wins First Round Over L.A. Law It Says Is About Shaming (1)
The case is National Rifle Association of America v. City of Los Angeles, 19-cv-03212, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).
To contact the reporter on this story: Edvard Pettersson in Los Angeles at epettersson@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Joe Schneider
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