More goofy California legislation! :-)
(Important UPDATE added September 11, 2009: You will want to look at the later blog entry linked below, but the person that you should contact by email AND phone is Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The later entry has a link for sending email to, and FAX and phone numbers for, the Governor.)
(Important UPDATE added September 4, 2009: BOTH of the bills below are still ALIVE. Please see the later blog entry and PHONE your State Legislators today [if you are a Californian]. Please keep up pressure through the end of the current legislative session on midnight, September 11. Frankly, I wonder whom some of the Legislators think that they are representing. [If you are one of the readers from other states and countries, I hope that you enjoy this glimpse into bad state government in action. 
])
I have written before about “goofy” California legislation dealing with several subjects (1, 2). Yesterday, two pieces of legislation that affect hunters and target shooters came to my attention.
THESE BILLS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION IN SACRAMENTO NOW! (Note added August 30, 2009: Frighteningly, THEY STILL ARE!!!)
(Note added June 28, 2009: Ha! And you thought that they were focused on THEIR JOBS, passing a California state budget!)
(Note added July 1, 2009: Think that the California Legislature is hard at work on our state budget? Think again. The two goofy bills below were scheduled for hearings yesterday. Were both bills killed outright, so that government could work more effectively on the budget? Heck no! SB 585’s hearing was postponed and has not been rescheduled, YET. AB 962’s hearing was rescheduled for Tuesday, July 7. This is how state government “works” in California. If the bills are important to you, please keep contacting legislators at the phone numbers and email addresses below.)
Those of you in other states may want to pay attention to what has happened in California. You might view it as “coming to YOUR state SOON!”
AB 962 (Kevin De León, D-Los Angeles; Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach) – Ammunition Sales Restrictions – This bill would place restrictions on the purchase of handgun ammunition. It would require all vendors to be licensed, and would require them to store such ammunition in such a manner that it would be inaccessible to buyers. It would REQUIRE BUYER REGISTRATION AND THUMBPRINTING (sounds a bit like the earlier effort by DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to thumbprint CA drivers – and driving is only a PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT!) at the point of purchase. It would ban mail order and Internet sales of such ammunition.
And, believe it or not, SB 585 that would ban sales of firearms at the Cow Palace is still around! I wish the California legislature were as concerned about PASSING A STATE BUDGET as they are about resurrecting previously defeated anti-Second Amendment legislation.
SB 585 (Mark Leno-D San Francisco) – Firearm Sales at the Cow Palace – This bill would prohibit the sale of firearms and ammunition at the Cow Palace. It is also the first step in banning gun shows on all publicly owned property in California.
The phone numbers and email addresses of the Senate Public Safety Committee members and the Assembly Public Safety Committee members are presented below (please scroll down), as a public service, to those of you in California.
(UPDATE July 28, 2009: Well it looks like the Senate committee wasted no time after passing a state budget, in PASSING SB 585, which would ban gun sales at the Cow Palace in Daly City (legislation in search of a problem). This bill was DEFEATED last year, but returned zombie-like this year [no, not the kind of zombies that Windows PCs become]. Who ELECTS these people, anyway? You can search for the status of bills in the State Senate HERE. The email that I received stated that SB 585 must pass the full Assembly, but pessimistically predicted that it would wind up on the Governor’s desk. If the bill makes it that far, you can contact the Governor here.)
(Note added July 31, 2009: The blog entry with the update is here. )
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
State Senator Mark Leno (D-3) – Chair
(916) 651-4003
senator.leno@senate.ca.gov
State Senator John J. Benoit (R-37) – Vice-Chair
(916) 651-4037
State Senator Gilbert Cedillo (D-22)
(916) 651-4022
State Senator Loni Hancock (D-9)
(916) 651-4009
State Senator Robert Huff (R-29)
(916) 651-4029
State Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-6)
(916) 651-4006
State Senator Roderick Wright (D-25)
(916) 651-4025
ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Assembly Member Jose Solorio (D-69) – Chair
(916) 319-2069
Assemblymember.solorio@assembly.ca.gov
Assembly Member Curt Hagman (R-60) – Vice Chair
(916) 319-2060
Assemblymember.Hagman@assembly.ca.gov
Assembly Member Warren T. Furutani (D-55)
(916) 319-2055
Assemblymember.Furutani@assembly.ca.gov
Assembly Member Danny D. Gilmore (R-30)
(916) 319-2030
Assemblymember.Gilmore@assembly.ca.gov
Assembly Member Jerry Hill (D-19)
(916) 319-2019
Assemblymember.Hill@assembly.ca.gov
Assembly Member Fiona Ma (D-12)
(916) 319-2012
Assemblymember.Ma@assembly.ca.gov
Assembly Member Nancy Skinner (D-14)
(916) 319-2014
Assemblymember.Skinner@assembly.ca.gov
