PA Bill Number: HB335
Title: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons.
Description: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons. ...
Last Action: Removed from table
Last Action Date: May 1, 2024
Shots fired: California continues its assault on gun rights :: 09/06/2015
Democrats have guns in their crosshairs, and California is leading the charge against the Second Amendment with gun bills blazing.
There are at least three bills under consideration by both chambers of the California legislature or waiting to be signed by Gov. Jerry Brown that tackle gun control.
Assembly Bill 1134, introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Mark Stone, was crafted to increase costs and red tape associated with the processing of concealed carry licenses, also known as CCW.
Current California law states that police chiefs or heads of municipal police departments are not required to be involved with the CCW process. AB1134 will make it so that applicants rely solely on the sheriff’s discretion for approval.
If AB 1134 passes, another process could be added to the mix, prolonging the waiting period for Californians, and adding an extra burden to local police departments. I could also cause problems if neither the sheriff nor local police want to process the paperwork. AB 1134 is currently on the agenda and should be heard by the Senate any day.
Senate Bill 347 adds a variety of new convictions to the list of misdemeanors that prohibit Californians from possessing firearms for a period of ten years. The list originally included the transference of guns or ammunition to other persons, a problem that would have entrapped family members who gift firearms to their loved ones.
The bill was amended by the Assembly Committee on Appropriations and the transference wording was dropped. The bill should soon be heard by the full Assembly.
Senate Bill 707 tackles gun-free zones.
According to the bill’s wording, CCW holders and retired law enforcement officers would be banned from bearing arms on any property that is part of a K-12 school or university. That would even prohibit those who fall under those two categories from carrying guns in areas such as parking lots, student apartment buildings, etc.
This bill has passed the senate and is currently on its way to Jerry Brown’s desk.
All bills face strong opposition from the National Rifle Association and the Firearms Policy Coalition.
Democratic senators standing at the forefront of the fight against guns rights include Sens. Lois Wolk and Hanna-Beth Jackson. Both are principal sponsors of SB 707 and SB 347.
According to Follow the Money–a database of political contributions–Sen. Wolk’s senatorial campaign received over $77,000 from two of the most powerful education professional unions in California, the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the California School Employees Association (CSEA). She also received $12,800 from the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA), one of the most powerful political forces in the state.
Sen. Jackson’s campaign received $126,393 from CTA and CSEA, and $36,300 from the California Federation of Teachers. The CFT has shown support for anti-gun legislation proponents back in 2013.
According to Sen. Wolk’s office, both the California School Boards Association, and the CSEA support SP 707. A series of law enforcement organizations such as the California Narcotics Officers, the California Police Chiefs Association, and the California Correctional Supervisors Organization also support SB 707.
Wolk’s long list of backers is rounded out by the support from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, an organization backed by the Joyce Foundation, on whose board President Barack Obama once served. The Joyce Foundation has also been involved in anti-gun research carried out by public institutions. In 2006, it granted $250,000 to UCLA School of Public Health for gun violence studies that encouraged the enactment of tougher gun laws.
This article was written by a contributor of Watchdog Arena, Franklin Center’s network of writers, bloggers, and citizen journalists.
