Capitol Alert reports “wave of new bills to crack down on guns or ammunition” in California.
—AB 48 (Skinner) would require sellers of ammunition to be licensed and for purchasers to show identification. All sales would be reported to the Department of Justice. The DOJ would notify local law enforcement of large-quantity purchases over a five-day period by an individual who is not a peace officer.
—Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, has proposed legislation to require ammunition buyers to purchase annual permits and undergo an annual background check.
—Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Rocklin, proposed a measure to permanently prohibit various mentally ill Californians from ever buying a firearm.
—State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, wants a law prohibiting devices allowing ammunition to be reloaded so semi-automatics acquire near-automatic firepower.
All this action is welcome. It shows a shift, in some quarters at least, in public opinion about gun control. If only that shift had come nationwide after the 1989 Cleveland Schoolyard shooting. Just think of all the tragedies that could have been averted.
