As California welcomes a new governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, into office, the State Senate has reintroduced a bill that would restrict residents to purchasing only one gun per month.
California Senate Bill 61 would “ban the sale or transfer of more than one firearm within a 30-day period,” CNBC reported this week. Democratic Sen. Anthony Portantino reintroduced the bill, which had been vetoed in the past by former Gov. Jerry Brown.
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The new governor intends to support the same gun control reform that is embraced by most Democrats, which was evident in his inaugural address where he made critical remarks about the Trump Administration and the gun lobby.
“Make no mistake, there are powerful forces arrayed against us. Not just politicians in Washington — but drug companies that gouge Californians with sky-high prices. A gun lobby that’s willing to sacrifice the lives of our children to line their pockets,” the new governor said, CNBC reported.
Newsom went public with his backing on stricter gun control laws after a November 2018 shooting a restaurant and bar.
The bar was a gun-free zone, prohibiting anyone from self-defense against the shooter who entered the establishment with a gun that he bought legally.
Twelve people were killed in the shooting. One of the survivors, Alex Chatoff, said, “If just one person was armed, there is a possibility that it could have been stopped then and there. This is why gun-free zones are a danger to us all, and if someone had been there armed, those people would still be alive,” Bearing Arms reported.
“I’ve been as transparent on gun issues as any candidate for higher office in decades. I think we can even do more and better,” Newsom said in November, CNBC reported.
California would not be the first state to adapt such legislation.
Maryland residents are banned from purchasing more than one handgun or assault weapon within a 30-day period, CNBC pointed out.
And in New Jersey, dealers are not allowed to transfer “more than one handgun to any person within a 30-day period,” it reported.
Lawrence Keane, senior vice president for government and public affairs for the gun rights advocacy group based National Shooting Sports Foundation, told CNBC, “California already has extensive waiting periods before a law-abiding citizen can exercise a fundamental Constitutional right. Further burdening and infringing on Californians’ Constitutional rights by rationing its exercise will not make the community safer. This was something former Gov. Brown understood.”
California law already requires gun purchasers go through a universal background check and a 10-day waiting period, as well as obtain a gun safety certificate, in addition to other requirements and restrictions.
