Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Anti-Gun Bill to Raid Gun Owner Fund Moving Quickly in Sacramento

Friday, March 8, 2013

In less than a week Senate Bill 140 unanimously passed in both the state Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee and the state Senate.  SB 140 now goes to the state Assembly where it will be assigned to a committee.

Introduced by "F"-rated state Senator Mark Leno, SB 140 would again steal from law-abiding gun owners by raiding $24 million from the Dealers' Record of Sale (DROS) Special Account to fund the Department of Justice's backlog in the Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS).  The DROS Account is the collection of money from firearm purchasers that pays for the administrative process for background checks and registration.  Unfortunately, with the DROS account having a surplus of funds, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) wants to use it like their own personal piggy bank and raid it whenever they feel like it.

The DOJ is saying the reason they are appropriating these funds from the DROS Account is to help pay for efforts to remove firearms from the hands of those prohibited from possessing them.  The NRA agrees that the enforcement of the law is important but opposes SB 140 because the funds to enforce California's gun laws should come from the general fund rather than the money collected from law-abiding firearm purchasers to pay for the administrative process for background checks.

This is not the first time the DROS Account has been targeted as a "free" source of money by California politicians.  Over the past several years, the state legislature has passed and the Governor has signed legislation into law allowing the DOJ to continually raid the DROS Account.

When the DROS Account was last raided in 2011 to the tune of $11.5 million, it was supposed to be for hiring and training new agents for the APPS program.  To hire and train a new special agent for APPS, the cost is around $265,000 and another $207,000 per year.  Now DOJ wants another $24 million from law-abiding gun owners.

The NRA has already filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the DOJ’s ability to use funds from the DROS Account in this manner, alleging that doing so violates the fee payers’ Second Amendment rights by putting the burden of funding general law enforcement activities on those exercising their rights instead of the public at large; that case is Bauer v. Harris.  Apparently the California Legislature does not understand (or care) about the law, and is inviting more litigation from the NRA.

The state legislature needs to know that the DROS fund is not a money tree to be used by the DOJ to help keep them afloat and it will certainly run out of money at the rate DOJ keeps raiding it.  When it does run out of money, what will be the answer to this problem – another increase in the fees for background checks?  The NRA and its members in California will not stand for that.

Please call AND e-mail your Assemblyman TODAY and urge him or her to OPPOSE SB 140.  Forward this alert to your family, friends and fellow gun owners across California and urge them to do the same.  The DROS fund should pay only for the administrative process for background checks and not to keep the California DOJ in business.

Contact information for your state Assemblymember can be found here.

For a list of more anti-gun bills introduced in the state Senate that are of concern to law-abiding gun owners click here.

For a list of more anti-gun bills introduced in the state Assembly that are of concern to law-abiding gun owners click here.

TRENDING NOW
Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes General Assembly and Semi-Auto Ban Temporarily Removed from Calendar

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes General Assembly and Semi-Auto Ban Temporarily Removed from Calendar

In a temporary reprieve for Colorado gun owners, the semi-auto ban HB24-1292 has been removed from the calendar. But we cannot let our guard down as gun control advocates can bring it up for a vote at ...

The U.S. Supreme Court Looks at Government “Blacklists”

News  

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The U.S. Supreme Court Looks at Government “Blacklists”

Much of the attention this past week in the United States Supreme Court was the oral arguments in National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo, No. 22-842, a First Amendment case on whether government officials ...

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Passes Committee and Sensitive Places Bill Hearing Rescheduled for Today!

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Passes Committee and Sensitive Places Bill Hearing Rescheduled for Today!

Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on House Bill 24-1292, the semi-auto ban, that lasted over 12 hours where hundreds of patriotic Coloradans overloaded the committee with opposition testimony. The hearing concluded with an ...

NRA Files Amicus Brief Asking Supreme Court to Hear Antonyuk v. James

News  

Second Amendment  

Monday, March 25, 2024

NRA Files Amicus Brief Asking Supreme Court to Hear Antonyuk v. James

In response to the NRA’s victory in Bruen, which secured every American’s right to carry arms, NY passed the “Concealed Carry Improvement Act,” severely restricting carry throughout the state. The 2nd Circuit upheld many of ...

25 years and one PLCAA Later, Chicago is Still Harassing Gunmakers

News  

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

25 years and one PLCAA Later, Chicago is Still Harassing Gunmakers

On March 19, the city of Chicago filed suit against handgun manufacturer Glock. Seeking to shift responsibility for the city’s woeful governance, Chicago’s lawsuit blames the popular firearm manufacturer for the third-party criminal misuse of ...

Washington: Governor Signs Anti-Gun Legislation

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Washington: Governor Signs Anti-Gun Legislation

Today, Governor Inslee signed five anti-gun bills into law that were recently passed by the Washington State Legislature. The bills include:

Anti-gun Democrats Seek to Undermine Law Passed to Protect Veterans’ Rights

News  

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Anti-gun Democrats Seek to Undermine Law Passed to Protect Veterans’ Rights

Last week we reported on a major breakthrough on behalf of veterans who risked losing their Second Amendment rights because of a long-running scheme by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report certain beneficiaries ...

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled for Floor Vote Today!

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled for Floor Vote Today!

Today, the House is scheduled to vote on HB24-1292, the ban on semi-automatic firearms. Please contact your legislators today by using the button below and urge them to OPPOSE HB24-1292!

Louisiana: Firearms Bills on the Move - Take Action Now!

Monday, March 25, 2024

Louisiana: Firearms Bills on the Move - Take Action Now!

A number of firearm-related bills, including enhanced preemption, are moving in the Louisiana Legislature. It's critical that NRA members and Second Amendment supporters get involved to keep the momentum going!

Pennsylvania: Senate Committee Passes Full Inclusion Sunday Hunting

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Pennsylvania: Senate Committee Passes Full Inclusion Sunday Hunting

On Wednesday, the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee voted 7-4 to pass Senate Bill 67 to the Senate floor for a vote. 

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.