California: More Anti-Gun Bill Committee Hearings Coming Up

This week, a number of anti-gun bills are receiving committee hearings:

On April 26^th, the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee will hear Assembly Bill 1223. This bill places an excise tax of 10% on the sales price of a handgun, and places an 11% excise tax on the sales price on all long guns, rifles, firearm precursor parts and ammunition to fund grants awarded through the Cal VIP program. The taxes are to be collected from California retailers on new firearms sold, and on their retail sales of ammunition. It is unjust to saddle law-abiding gun owners with special taxes to fund social service programs. Such a measure makes it more expensive for law-abiding citizens to exercise a constitutional right, and discourages them from practicing to be safe and proficient with their firearms for purposes such as self-defense, competition, and hunting. 

Click the button below to ask committee members to oppose AB 1223.​

On April 27^th, the Assembly Public Safety Committee will hear Assembly Bill 1509. This bill reduces the penalties and sentencing enhancements for criminal misuse of firearms. Such an effort shows just how disingenuous Californian legislators are about stopping “gun violence.” The legislators who oppose holding criminals accountable for their actions are the same ones who continue to harass law-abiding gun owners.

Click the button below to ask committee members to oppose AB 1509.

On April 27^th, the Senate Public Safety Committee will hear Senate Bill 538. This bill expands California’s program of suspending constitutional rights and seizing property by allowing electronic filing and witnesses to appear remotely. The suspension of a constitutional right should be afforded the utmost due process protections, especially when the basis for the petition may not amount to a prohibiting offense or adjudication. By allowing remote testimony, the due process protections are lessened, not enhanced, and may limit the opportunity to examine the credibility of a witness. 

Click the button below to ask committee members to oppose SB 538.

On April 28^th, the Assembly Appropriations Committee will hear Assembly Bill 311. This bill prohibits the display or sale of any "precursor firearm parts" at gun shows on state property.  So called “precursor” parts are not regulated as firearms under federal law; however, they are regulated and limited to being transferred by licensed vendors in California. Such restrictions continue to cut off access to law-abiding individuals who are looking to acquire firearm parts in accordance with existing law. ​

Click the button below to ask committee members to oppose AB 311.

In addition, committees passed these bills after hearing them this week:

On April 20^th, the Senate Public Safety Committee voted 4-1 to pass Senate Bill 715. This bill limits when a hunting license satisfies the requirements for adults under 21 purchasing a long gun by requiring the license to be currently valid. This means an individual who has purchased a license for an upcoming season will not satisfy the requirements of the bill. Additionally, SB 715 makes changes to the restrictions on gifts and loans of long-guns to minors in a way that is confusing for well-intentioned individuals trying to understand what is permitted and required.

On April 22^nd, the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee voted 8-2 to pass Assembly Bill 1237. This bill mandates that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) supply state information, including personal identifying information, to the UC Gun Violence Research Center at UC Davis, and allows the DOJ to provide this same information to certain non-profits and state agencies. This legislation creates grave privacy concerns, as well as concerns that this information could be provided to groups that create biased “research” to push gun control policies without actually researching root causes of violence.

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates.