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Status Update on Anti-Gun Bills in California

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Unfortunately, several anti-gun bills have passed in their chambers of origin and have moved to the opposite legislative body for consideration.  These bills must be stopped and your help is needed!

 

The following bills have passed in the Assembly and are now in the Senate Public Safety Committee.   Please call AND e-mail members of the Senate Public Safety Committee urging them to OPPOSE AB 144 and AB 809.  Contact information for the Senate Public Safety Committee can be found here.

 

Assembly Bill 144, introduced by anti-gun Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-44), would change the state’s gun laws and prohibit law-abiding citizens from carrying an unloaded handgun openly.  There are currently only six states that do not allow for the open carrying of a firearm. California is the ONLY state considering banning open carry.  In fact, many states are considering legislation to loosen the restrictions on gun owners by allowing law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm without a permit.  AB 144 passed in the state Assembly by a 45 to 29 vote.  This bill is currently scheduled to be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, June 7.

 

Assembly Bill 809, introduced again by F-rated Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-42), would establish a state registration system, similar to the one currently in place for handguns, for all newly-acquired rifles and shotguns.  Under AB 809, the make, model and serial number of the firearm as well as the identifying information of the purchaser would be recorded and kept on file by the California Attorney General’s office.  AB 809 passed in the state Assembly by a 47 to 29 vote.

 

The following bills have passed in the state Senate and are now in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.  Please call AND e-mail members of the Assembly Public Safety Committee urging them to OPPOSE SB 124, SB 427, SB 798 and SB 819. Contact information for the Assembly Public Safety Committee can be found here.

 

Senate Bill 124, introduced by anti-gun extremist state Senator Kevin De León, would create a broadly expanded and technically flawed definition of handgun ammunition which would encompass virtually all rifle cartridges.  It would also ban the possession of many types of rifle cartridges and make it a felony to possess them.  SB 124 doesn’t stop there; it could also ban virtually all non-lead ammunition used in California by reclassifying them as “armor piercing.”  If this bill did not already make owning a firearm difficult, an amendment was added by the bill sponsor to further add more problems for gun owners. SB 124 would also require the registration of ammunition and banning of mail-order ammunition. This bill would have enormous ramifications for California gun owners and sportsmen to include a complete ban on hunting in the California condor zone in which the use of lead ammunition is prohibited for hunting.  SB 124 passed in the state Senate by a 22 to 16 vote.

 

Senate Bill 427, introduced by Senator De León, would force licensed state ammunition retailers to obtain a special local license to operate in municipalities.  These retailers would also be required to notify local law enforcement before conducting business within their jurisdiction.  Anti-gun activists are determined to take away gun ownership piece by piece and this bill targets ammunition.  SB 427 passed in the state Senate by a 22 to 14 vote.

 

Senate Bill 798, introduced by Senator De León, would treat air and BB guns the same as a toy gun by requiring the entire exterior surface of the device to be white, bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright blue, bright pink, or bright purple as the predominate color.  BB guns are not toys and should not be treated as or manufactured like a toy. SB 798 passed in the state Senate by a 21 to 16 vote.

 

Senate Bill 819, introduced by F-rated state Senator Mark Leno (D-3), would allow Dealer Record of Sales (DROS) funds to go to the Department of Justice to help pay for the enforcement of California firearm possession laws.  The DROS fund monies were originally collected from every firearm purchaser to pay for the administrative process for background checks.  However, these funds have been raided to help the Department of Justice pay their bills.  As a result, the DROS fund will certainly run out of money.  When it does, what will be their answer to this problem – another increase in the fees for background checks.  SB 819 passed in the state Senate by a 22 to 16 vote.

 

Please forward this alert to your family, friends and fellow gun owners and urge them to also call their state legislators to OPPOSE these anti-gun bills.

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Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.