Operation times of shooting galleries and ranges amended
Both shooting galleries and shooting ranges now have time restrictions on their time of operations.
Acting governor Victor B. Hocog enacted into law last Wednesday a measure that restricts shooting galleries and shooting ranges within a specific time in the day.
According to Public Law 20-29, shooting galleries are allowed from 9am to 11pm while shooting ranges are only allowed to operate from 9am to 8pm.
Shooting galleries as defined by P.L. 18-26, are licensed business places with a minimum capital investment of $500,000 in which the general public may discharge firearms.
Shooting ranges according to the same law on the other hand, refers to a major development with a minimum capital investment of $250,000. Like a shooting gallery, shooting ranges also allows the general public to discharge firearms however additional amenities such as restaurants, shops, recreational facilities, and whatnot are also included within the premises.
Shooting ranges also satisfies requirements to host major international shooting competition in accordance to the International Shooting Sport Federation, which supervises sport-shooting competitions.
The legislation was authored by Rep. Lorenzo Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan) and is co-sponsored by Reps. Francisco C. Aguon (R-Saipan), Blas Jonathan Attao (Ind-Saipan), Donald Barcinas (R-Saipan), Edwin Propst (Ind-Saipan), John Paul Sablan (R-Saipan), Vinson Sablan (Ind-Saipan), and minority leader Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Ind-Saipan).
Are shooting galleries and shooting ranges so unique of a private business venture which this government have too much say as far as strict regulation pronouncement interfering as to time of operation? Recalling of the “laissez-faire doctrine”, to let people do as they choose by opposing government interference in the economic affairs beyond the minimum necessary for the maintenance of peace and property rights. Why does this legislature find it so necessary to dilly dally with the existence of this law so many times in the recent past til now? Who is putting up who onto the limb, shall we say? No really? How so many times this law have been dealt with before? Is MONOPOLY GAME, the only lucrative sports in town? Limiting the number of such businesses may be in conflict with the anti-trust mechanism in the law book, shall we say?