RivCo Lawmakers React to Gun Control Measures Approved by Senate

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Ca - Riverside County lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on Thursday expressed general opposition to a raft of gun control measures approved by the state Senate, saying the proposals effectively penalize law-abiding citizens while doing little or nothing to curb criminal behavior.

"These bills infringe on the constitutional rights of people to own guns and pushes our state down a slippery slope that could ultimately allow the government to confiscate the legally owned weapons of law-abiding Californians,'' said Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Palm Desert.

A total of 11 bills originating in both the Assembly and Senate received majority approval and are now bound for the Assembly for final consideration, according to Senate Pro Tem President Kevin De Leon, D-Los Angeles.

The proposals are:

-- Assembly Bill 156 and Senate Bill 1235, which would be codified in one regulation requiring anyone purchasing ammunition to undergo a background check;

-- AB 1135 and SB 880, which together broaden the definition of "assault weapon'' to include any rifle configured to accept detachable magazines, prohibiting sales of a large number of currently legal rifles and requiring current owners to register their firearms with the state;

-- AB 857 and SB 1407, each of which would mandate that a person assembling a gun from raw parts first obtain a serial number for that proposed firearm from the California Department of Justice;

-- AB 1176, which would make gun theft or the act of knowingly purchasing a stolen firearm a felony;

-- AB 1511, which would limit a firearm owner to loaning his or her gun to immediate family and grandparents only;

-- SB 1006, which would establish a taxpayer-financed Firearm Violence Research Center within the University of California system; and

-- SB 1446, which would prohibit possession of so-called "large capacity magazines'' that hold 10 or more rounds.

"Ironic that the people who advocate for these gun control bills are the very same people who are protected in the capitol by armed security,'' said Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore. "Laws that forbid firearms
don't deter crime; they increase it.''

Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, supported only AB 1176. "As a retired officer who served 32 years in the United States Air Force, Senator Roth believes in upholding the rights afforded us under the U.S. Constitution,'' the senator's spokesman, Shrujal Joseph, told City News Service.

Other area legislators did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The most contentious bills appeared to be those seeking to impose background checks on ammo purchasers, broaden the assault weapon ban and limit magazine sizes.

De Leon said the "proposals take common sense steps to keep weapons and ammunition out of the hands of criminals and empower law enforcement to better serve and protect our communities.''

The Firearms Policy Coalition argued SB 880 would inaugurate the "largest gun ban in California history,'' forcing the "registration of millions of semi-automatic rifles in common use and protected under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.''

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence countered that the bill would rectify an "imprecise definition (in the California assault weapons ban) to evade the intent of the law.... This loophole must be closed.''

"I am hopeful that Gov. Brown will veto this legislation, as he has vetoed similar bills in the past,'' Stone said. "Hopefully, my colleagues will continue to explore meaningful solutions to gun violence by supporting gun laws already on the books that penalize criminals instead of infringing on the Second Amendment rights of responsible
gun owners.''

Also see:

• California's Governor Throws Shade at Florida's
• California Lifts Some Water Restrictions

--City News Service/Image via Shutterstock