California is eyeing new gun control bills, and one, if passed, would raise the legal age to purchase any and all guns from 18 to 21.
Californians already must be at least 21 in order to purchase a handgun.
Democratic State Sen. Anthony Portantino has proposed a bill, SB-1100, that would require a person to be 21 years old to purchase any and all firearms.
There are five gun control bills on the table in California, and state lawmakers have until the week’s end to make a decision before they adjourn on Aug. 31, ABC 10 reported last week.
Another bill in the five-bill package is SB-1177, sponsored by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-25), which would only allow an individual to buy one gun within a 30-day period. That restriction is currently enforced for handguns only.
SB-3129, sponsored by Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), would place a lifetime ban on owning guns for anyone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.
California Legislators Consider Tightening State Gun Laws https://t.co/ovweF6YWCK
— CBS Sacramento CBS13 (@CBSSacramento) August 24, 2018
SB-2888, sponsored by Assemblyman Phillip Ting (D-19), would allow more than just immediate family and law enforcement to file a gun violence restraining order – it would extend to coworkers, employers, high schools and colleges with the aim to identify high-risk individuals before a crime takes place.
The final bill, SB-1968, sponsored by Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley), would bar anyone who is involuntarily admitted to a facility for a mental health disorder, more than once in a year, from ever owning guns.
The topic is controversial and has remained a heated debate.
Civil rights organizations oppose the gun ban efforts, saying they will stigmatize people with mental illnesses.
Others say that if someone is old enough to join the military, they should be old enough to buy a gun.
Several lawsuits have been filed, including one by the National Rifle Association (NRA) when Florida passed stricter laws following the Parkland school shooting earlier this year.
Currently, 20 percent of California residents own a gun, CBS 13 reported.
NRA Training Counselor Jon Kennedy, co-owner of Laguna Guns & Accessories in Elk Grove, said, “Most of the gun laws they passed in the last 10 years, especially in his state, don’t do anything to curtail crime. I’ve never had a criminal walk through that door and say ‘Hey, I’m a felon can I buy a gun.’ Criminals don’t care, they’re going to get the guns.”
“The legislature, you’ve got to give them credit. They’re trying to justify their existence,” Kennedy added.
