Judge invalidates San Francisco gun ban

SAN FRANCISCO, June 13 (UPI) -- A state judge invalidated the voter-approved ban on handgun possession in San Francisco.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge James Warren struck down Proposition H, which would have outlawed possession of handguns by residents except for police and others who may need a weapon for professional reasons, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The law also would have outlawed the manufacture and sale of guns in San Francisco.

The Chronicle reported that Warren's decision was made Monday on the grounds that local governments have no such authority under California law.