What’s Happening, California?

The Legislature returns to the final month of this year’s session on August 17; this means they have until September 11 to inflict as much damage on Californians as they can.

Even though the gun battle in the halls of the State Capitol was less noisy in 2015, this doesn’t mean it was any less damaging to the brave California souls who still want to own firearms.  We are focusing on three bills – each one foolish, reckless and having no bearing on crime in our state.  The big question is whether the liberals will listen to common sense or continue to be driven by emotional propaganda when they vote on these bills in the coming weeks.  We are realistic here at GOC but will never be a doormat – we will never let them have their way without a fight!

• SB 347 (Jackson) is just plain bad; it would expand the list of persons prohibited from purchasing firearms for a 10-year period to include those convicted of specified firearm-related misdemeanors – in other words, the bill would attached a 10 year ban on ownership and possession of a firearm to an individual who sells a 20 year old a box of shotgun shells.  This is not only wrong-headed, but punitive to the gun community.
• SB 707 (Wolk) removes the exemption that permits a person who holds a valid concealed firearm license from carrying on the grounds of a public or private school or on the campus of a university or college without the written permission of a school official. When asked whether there were ANY situations that demonstrated a need for the bill, the only thing Senator Wolk could come up with was an incident where a school employee became frightened upon noticing a parent with a concealed firearm – who also had a permit to carry!  There is absolutely no demonstrated evidence that school children and administrative personnel have ever been in danger as a result of current exemptions in the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1995.

More to come about Senator Wolk – who formerly chaired the Legislative Outdoor Sporting Caucus, the goals of which are “to further the understanding and acceptance of outdoor activities throughout the state. The caucus will also be an important tool to support the interests of California’s many outdoor enthusiasts, as well as provide a bi-partisan voice for outdoor sporting issues within the State Legislature.”  Senator Wolk needs to get out of the Capitol, because her votes certainly don’t demonstrate an understanding of what an outdoor enthusiast is.

• AB 1134 by Assemblyman Stone will alter the authority regarding the issuance of concealed weapons permits. Although the initial language simply permitted county sheriffs to enter into “agreements” with police chiefs to handle concealed carry weapon (CCW) applications, the most recent amendments give authority to the local sheriff to require applicants to go through the process with their local police chief.  Such a change in policy creates a burden for the applicant, and adds an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy to a process that has become increasingly more convoluted in recent years.  Duplication of this sort will have no bearing on crime, but throws yet another obstacle in the path of the law abiding gun owner.

For status updates on each of these bills, CLICK HERE