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November 9, 2005

San Francisco Voters Approve Handgun Ban
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 6:27 a.m. ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Voters approved ballot measures to ban handguns in San Francisco and urge the city's public high schools and college campuses to keep out military recruiters.

The gun ban prohibits the manufacture and sale of all firearms and ammunition in the city, and makes it illegal for residents to keep handguns in their homes or businesses.

Only two other major U.S. cities -- Washington and Chicago -- have implemented such sweeping handgun bans.

With all precincts reporting early Wednesday, 58 percent of voters backed the proposed gun ban while 42 percent opposed it.

Although law enforcement, security guards and others who require weapons for work are exempt from the measure, current handgun owners would have to surrender their firearms by April.

A coalition led by the National Rifle Association has said it plans to challenge the initiative in court, arguing that cities do not have the authority to regulate firearms under California law.

The military recruitment initiative won with 60 percent in favor and 40 percent against.

The measure, dubbed ''College Not Combat,'' opposes the presence of military recruiters at public high schools and colleges. However, it would not ban the armed forces from seeking enlistees at city campuses, since that would put schools at risk of losing federal funding.

It encourages city officials and university administrators to exclude recruiters and create scholarships and training programs that would reduce the military's appeal to young adults.

''We now have the moral weight of the city behind us, and it's definitely a valuable asset to have in our corner,'' said Bob Matthews, an activist for the proposition.