IT’S 2024 – WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR GUN OWNERS IN CALIFORNIA?
With new laws on the books as of January 1 and lawsuits that have been filed challenging each unconstitutional anti-Second Amendment maneuver, there is much room for confusion as to what is legal and what is not. The last thing GOC wants is for our member to unwittingly break the law – no matter how stupid that law might be. GOC is at the tip of the spear in following all this and the information below will hopefully assist as we face a new – albeit temporary – reality.
Where can a licensed individual carry a concealed weapon?
Very few places unless it is posted that it is permissible; GOC and a robust contingent of 2A partners filed not one but TWO lawsuits last fall on this law (SB 2). On December 20, we were successful in securing an injunction which temporarily stopped the law’s implementation, but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals stepped in last Saturday, December 30, 2023 and put the injunction on hold, punting its decision to a “merits” panel to decide if Judge Carney’s temporary injunction will be reinstated. It’s now a waiting game. This means as of now, the law stands and the restrictions on where one can carry are vast: all daycare and school grounds, college campuses, government and judicial buildings, medical facilities, public parks and playgrounds, correctional institutions, public transit, public demonstrations and gatherings, athletic and professional sporting facilities, public libraries, amusement parks, zoos and museums, places of worship, banks, polling places, gambling establishments, and any place where alcohol is sold.
Are “lowers” and other “pre-cursor” parts now considered actual “guns” and therefore fall under the “one gun a month” limitation?
Unfortunately, yes, due to the passage of AB 1483.
What is the status of the new “proposed” DOJ regulations that severely limits who is eligible to teach CCW classes?
The “emergency” regulations were developed as part of SB 2’s implementation and have been published but not formally adopted by the Office of Administrative Law. With only 5 days of public comment permitted – and over the Christmas holiday – this demonstrates what little respect the DOJ has for California’s gun owners. We have filed two lawsuits on SB 2, The status on the first one, May v Bonta, dealing with so-called sensitive spaces is the case discussed above. The second case is CRPA v Los Angeles County Sheriff and was filed on Dec.4, 2023 dealing with the process, time delays and costs of acquiring a CCW. We are awaiting a hearing date on this case. We hope to amend this lawsuit to include the DOJ’s regulations on CCW Instructors, thereby saving time and cost.
Will you be subject to being videotaped and your voice recorded (at multiple locations within a retail establishment) if that business sells firearms and ammunition?
YES. The video and audio must be kept for one year and must be made available to law enforcement without a warrant. Mandated by 2022’s passage of SB 1384, this is a massive violation of the First, Second, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. GOC and our Second Amendment partners have filed a lawsuit on this as well. This case is Richards v Newsom and is scheduled for a hearing mid-January 2024.
BECAUSE THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE COULD GIVE TWO RIPS ABOUT THE CONSITUTION AND THE RIGHTS THEY GUARANTEE EVERY AMERICAN, WE ARE FORCED TO TAKE OUR BATTLES TO THE COURTS. The anti-gunners have an endless supply of cash – so they can afford to stiff-arm every 2A legal decision they don’t like. The bottom line is, they want us to run out of money. Filing lawsuits is expensive, so if they can dry up what funds the 2A has, they don’t have to pay attention to SCOTUS rulings.
GOC will continue to fight on the legal battlefield.