California Legislation Takes Yet Another Swipe at Gun Rights

By Ready to Fire News On Apr 5, 2019

California used to be known as the land of opportunity, but now it’s simply the land of disappointment — for conservatives and gun owners, at least.

Yet again, there are several gun bills that continue to march forward through the legislative branches of the state government. The Assembly Appropriations Committee and the Senate Public Safety Committee are vetting Assembly Bill 1297 that would make it ever more onerous for gun owners to obtain concealed carry permits. Rights continue to erode in one of the nation’s largest states, and it seems that there is little true Americans can do about this shift.

Gun Rights for Californians

Over the past few years, liberals have been targeting gun owners — literally — by reducing their Second Amendment rights drip by drip. More than a dozen new laws that were passed in the last several years will go into effect in 2019, including lifetime bans on gun ownership for domestic violence offenders and those who have been in a mental institution involuntarily. Minimum age limits for California gun owners move from 18 to 21 years of age.

On top of these restrictive laws, Californians now also have to deal with new excise taxes on gun sales. While the money raised by those taxes is earmarked for violence prevention and intervention activities, it’s still galling for Californians to have to work through all of these additional hurdles simply to exercise their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Oregon and Washington Follow Suit

As if simply having California legislators coming down on gun laws wasn’t enough, many other Western states are following suit: notably Oregon and Washington. Both of these states are attempting to close up what they consider a loophole and stop domestic partners from purchasing a gun if they are currently living with a convicted abuser.

This so-called “boyfriend loophole” bill is one of several across the country with similar intent. Washington is now requiring proof of successful completion of a firearm training course before individuals are allowed to purchase a weapon. Enhanced background checks, waiting periods before purchases, and the requirement that all weapons be securely stored inside an approved storage container again limit the rights of individuals — and makes it more difficult for people to make a purchase of a handgun or rifle.

Gunning for Ammunition

The weapons themselves are not the only thing under fire. Ammunition is also being targeted by liberal lawmakers by banning magazines that hold more than 10 cartridges and also by putting taxes on ammo — as some states are doing. The National Rifle Association continues to lobby for a decrease in these nuisance laws, but it often blocked by lawmakers in California and other states that skew anti-gun.

The only way to make changes is to take some action to protect your Second Amendment rights. They are slowly dripping away: bill by bill, state by state, year by year. Before long, it will be difficult to work your way through the miasma of legislation to legally own a firearm.

~ Ready to Fire News