California lawmakers are opportunistically using the shooting near the state Capitol in Sacramento to push a trio of gun control bills that have nothing to do with, nor would have prevented, the shooting, which left six people dead and others wounded.
Two suspects arrested in connection with the fatal shooting were brothers, both with criminal records precluding them from legally having firearms. One suspect had been released from prison only weeks before the deadly gun battle.
According to KCRA News, one measure is AB 1594, which would “create a standard by which the firearm industry could be sued in civil court beginning on July 1, 2023.” It would allow people to bring civil lawsuits against the firearm industry, which could run head-on into the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. That law prevents “junk” lawsuits against the firearms industry.
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Another bill is AB 2571, a measure aimed at restricting the marketing and advertising of firearms to minors and “prohibited persons.”
The third proposal is AB 1621, which targets so-called “ghost guns.”
As reported by KTXL, AB 1594 passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee 7-2. It has been sent to the Appropriations Committee, along with AB 1621, which also passed out of its first committee hearing.
There are criticisms of the legislation. Speaking specifically about AB 1621, State Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) was quoted by KTXL observing, “Firearm parts don’t kill people; behavior kills people. And that’s where I wish our focus would be directed toward violent behavior used with any weapon no matter what it is.”
Likewise, Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, said firearms built by private citizens have become “an unfortunate scapegoat” for rising crime.
Directing a comment toward AB 2571, Daniel Reid, representing the National Rifle Association, predicted it will fail on a First Amendment challenge.
It has become something of a tradition for anti-gunners to capitalize on high-profile crimes involving firearms to push pet gun control legislation which may, or may not, be remotely connected to the crime being exploited. The most notorious of such efforts is “universal background check” legislation, seen as something of a reflex demand, despite the fact that states with restrictive gun laws already require background checks even for private gun sales. California is one of those states.
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ABOUT CHRIS CHENG (In Pacific Time)
Chris Cheng serves on the advisory council to the Second Amendment Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He is the History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 Champion and author of the book “Shoot to Win.” Cheng is an Asian D&I advocate in the gun community, a former Google employee who went from self-taught amateur to pro shooter.
ABOUT CAM EDWARDS (In Eastern Time)
Cam Edwards is the editor at Bearing Arms-dot-com and hosts the popular podcast Cam & Company that focuses on Second Amendment news and information. Cam is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has worked in radio, television, and online media for over two decades. He currently lives on a small farm with his family near Farmville, Virginia, and is a member of the board of Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms.
ABOUT MARK WALTERS (in Eastern Time):
Mark Walters is a member of the board of directors for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. As a nationally syndicated host of two talk radio programs, Armed American Radio and Armed American Radio’s Daily Defense, Mark is heard on hundreds of stations weekly across the country. Mark is the co-founder of Armed American News and the recipient of the 2015 “Gun Rights Defender of the Year award.” In addition, Mark Walters is co-author of three books, including Lessons from Armed America, Lessons from Unarmed America, and Grilling While Armed.
ABOUT LEE WILLIAMS (In Eastern Time)
Lee Williams is also known as The Gun Writer and has been writing about the Second Amendment, firearms, the firearms industry, and the gun culture for more than ten years. He is the Chief Editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Reporting Project and is a frequent contributor to Ammoland News and Armed American Radio. In addition, Lee serves as a board member of Florida Carry, Inc. He was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming a newspaper editor, Lee was an investigative reporter in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. Lee has earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter and three medals of valor as a police officer.
ABOUT DAVE WORKMAN (In Pacific Time):
Dave Workman is an award-winning career journalist and senior editor of TheGunMag.com. He writes for Liberty Park Press, Conservative Firing Line, and is communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. He has authored Op-Ed pieces in several major newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and co-authored seven books with Second Amendment Foundation Alan Gottlieb. Workman’s beat is firearms, from politics to the outdoors. He is widely considered an authority on firearms, concealed carry, and gun politics.
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 700,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
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