California Legislative Alert

On Wednesday, April 25th, the Assembly`s Appropriations Committee will be hearingAssembly Bill 35 (Shelley), a measure that would mandate that all handgun purchasers, as of January 1, 2002, obtain a license before taking possession of the firearm. In order for the license to be issued, applicants must have their thumbprint taken during the application process and undergo a written and shooting proficiency test as administered by their local law enforcement agency.

Although the policy committee has already heard this bill - and passed it out on a 5 - 2 vote - the Appropriations Committee will be hearing the fiscal impact of the measure. As that there are no funding mechanisms built into the bill, the financial burden placed on the licensees and law enforcement agencies will be tremendous. That means officers who are currently assigned to protect our streets will be pulled from duty to administer written tests to law-abiding citizens who seek a license!

Another important component of this expensive and discriminatory measure is that only those individuals who speak English will be able to maneuver the application and testing procedures. The fact that California`s citizens can currently obtain a drivers license in thirty-one languages but cannot obtain a handgun license in more than one is blatantly ignoring the diverse complexity of this state.

This is why it`s vital that you contact the members of the Assembly`s Appropriations Committee today and voice your opposition to AB 35 on the grounds that it`s too costly and prejudicial!

For more information on AB 35, and other CA bills , please go to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.