California: The Legislature Once Again Utilizes the Budget to Go After Gun Owners; This Time to Raise Ammo Background Check Costs

This week, the California Legislature was up to their old tricks, utilizing budget related bills to make significant policy changes targeting gun owners. Assembly Bill 135 and Senate Bill 135 are what's known as "Budget Trailer Bills" that are used to institute spending guidelines for the overall larger budget bills. However, the Legislature has had a habit of slipping significant policy changes into these spending bills, such as targeting personally identifying information on gun owners during the 2021 session. The policy changes in both bills allow the Attorney General to unilaterally increase the fee to conduct ammunition eligibility checks. They repeal the language in existing law specifying that increases are not to exceed “the increase in the California Consumer Price Index.” In doing so, they can potentially allow costs to exercise this constitutional right, to skyrocket due to bureaucratic bloat and inefficiency. Tomorrow, the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee will hear AB 135. While SB 135 has not yet been scheduled, it is eligible for a hearing in the Assembly Budget Committee. Please contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE AB 135 and SB 135.