On the first day back from its legislative recess two anti-gun bills were sent to the Senate floor by the Senate Appropriations Committee. It is IMPERATIVE that EVERY gun owner, sportsmen and Second Amendment supporter in California keep up the pressure on their state Senator and Assemblyman OPPOSING ALL of the anti-gun bills listed below. Contact information for your state legislators can be found here. Contact information for the Senate Appropriations Committee can be found here. Contact information for the Assembly Appropriations Committee can be found here.
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The bills below are pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and are scheduled to be heard TODAY, August 6. Contact information for members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee can be found here.
Senate Bill 199 would remove the BB device exception from the imitation firearm prohibition. This would effectively prohibit the manufacture, purchase or sale anything that was previously considered a BB device (including traditional air guns) unless the entire exterior surface of the device is brightly colored or translucent. Under federal law, airsoft guns are already subject to very specific marking requirements mandated by the federal imitation firearms law. To view the NRA’s letter of opposition, please click here.
Senate Bill 580 would divert millions of dollars from the “Firearms Safety and Enforcement Fee” (FSE Fee) to fund general law enforcement activities (such as performing law enforcement “contacts” based on the Armed Prohibited Persons System [APPS]), even though only a minuscule portion of legal firearm purchasers actually end up in that system. The original purpose of the FSE Fee was to provide funding for training, testing, and other costs directly related to the implementation of the Handgun Safety Certificate program.
Again, the state Department of Justice (DOJ) is raiding gun owner funds to pay for their programs. In the last three years, approximately $30 million was appropriated from the Dealers’ Record of Sale Special Account (DROS Fund) for use in APPS and APPS-related law enforcement activities. Though exact expenditure figures are not available to the public, there is likely at least $15 million dollars left to be spent from that appropriation. Why does DOJ need more money? To view the NRA’s letter of opposition, please click here.
Senate Bill 808 would make it a crime under California law for an individual to manufacture a firearm without first obtaining state Department of Justice approval to do so and subsequently engraving a DOJ-provided serial number on the firearm. This legislation should be opposed because it will effectively nullify the long-standing and constitutionally protected activity of building one’s own firearms. Additionally, SB 808 will promote the destruction and devaluation of existing firearms without any tangible public safety benefit. To view the NRA’s letter of opposition, please click here.
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On Monday, August 4, there was no action on Senate Bill 53, so it is still waiting for its third reading on the Assembly floor, which could be this Thursday, August 7. Contact information for your state Assemblyman can be found here.
SB 53 would require the collection and reporting of personal consumer information and thumbprinting for all ammunition purchases throughout California. It would also ban online and mail-order sales of all ammunition, including hunting and collectible ammunition.
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The following bills were heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, August 4:
Assembly Bill 1014 was placed in the Appropriations suspense file. Generally, bills sent to this file have a fiscal impact in any single fiscal year of $150,000 or more. These bills will be “held” and not heard again until the last two days of the committee deadline, which are August 14 and 15. It is crucial that you keep the pressure on members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and your state Senator. Contact information for members of this Senate committee can be found here and your state Senator’s contact information can be found here. We need a strong voice of opposition to AB 1014.
AB 1014 would allow law enforcement officers to acquire a "gun violence restraining order" against any person by showing only "reasonable grounds" that the person is dangerous. Its low evidentiary standard and lack of a mechanism for individuals to present their own defense before being deprived of their constitutional rights fail to meet American standards for due process of law. Just as restraining orders are abused in other contexts, the proposed "gun violence restraining orders" can be easily abused and issued in cases where officers lack sufficient evidence for an arrest, but wish to deprive an individual of their right to bear arms. We all know how hard it is to get something back or even corrected after the government seizes it, so it's important for gun owners to have the opportunity to put on their own defense before losing their Second Amendment rights.
Assembly Bill 1609 passed in the Senate Appropriations committee by a 4-2 vote and will now be sent to the Senate floor. A date for Senate consideration has not been set and we will let you know as soon as that date is available. Until then, please call AND e-mail your state Senator urging him or her to OPPOSE AB 1609. Contact information for your state legislator can be found here
AB 1609 would make it a state crime to transport or otherwise import firearms into California that were acquired from out of state, unless the firearms are sent to and transferred through a licensed California firearms dealer. Despite the author’s intentions, this legislation is misguided for several reasons. To view the NRA’s letter of opposition, please click here.
Assembly Bill 2310 was moved to the Senate floor using Rule 28.8. Rule 28.8 means any bill referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee that does not appropriate money may be promptly be reported to the Senate floor with the recommendation it be placed on second reading if the chairman of that committee determines that (a) any additional state costs are not significant and do not and will not require the appropriation of additional state funds and (b) the bill will cause no significant reduction in revenues. A date for Senate consideration has not been set and we will let you know as soon as that date is available. Until then, please call AND e-mail your state Senator urging him or her to OPPOSE AB 2310. Contact information for your state legislator can be found here
AB 2310 would allow city attorneys in Los Angeles and Sacramento Counties to initiate unlawful detainer actions against residents who have been arrested for any firearm-related crime. The NRA believes that AB 2310 is misguided for several reasons. To view the NRA’s letter of opposition, please click here.
The 2014 legislative session is expected to adjourn at the end of August, so this legislation is moving quickly. You must move even quicker to spread the word to your family, friends, fellow gun owners and sportsmen in California urging them to call their state Senator and Assemblyman to OPPOSE the bills above.
Tell your state legislator that criminals do not respect or obey current firearm laws and they will simply ignore any new firearm laws, so let’s try a new strategy and protect law-abiding gun owners.
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