Governor Brown Makes the Right Decision – Vetoes SB 347

In recognition of the vast expansion of California’s criminal code, Governor Brown wisely vetoed Senator Hannah Beth Jackson’s SB 347, which sought to add unlawful penalties to non-violent misdemeanor offenders. This bill would have increased the list of persons prohibited from purchasing firearms for a 10-year period to include those convicted of specified firearm-related misdemeanors.

We applaud this decision by the Governor,” said GOC Executive Director Sam Paredes. “It’s absurd to think anyone in possession of a single shotgun shell while on school grounds should lose their gun rights for ten years.” In his testimony before the Legislature, Paredes commented “Let’s be real – carrying ammo without a gun is like carrying a rock.”

In his veto message that pertained to nine pieces of legislation, the Governor stated “Each of these bills creates a new crime — usually by finding a novel way to characterize and criminalize conduct that is already proscribed. This multiplication and particularization of criminal behavior creates increasing complexity without commensurate benefit.

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