One out of two ain’t good
Awhile ago, I wrote about two examples of “goofy” California legislation that threaten(ed) our Constitutional Rights. More recently, I gave an update. Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed one of the goofy bills and signed the other into law.
One out of two ain’t good!
In California politics, USUALLY it is the Democrats that you have to watch with regard to erosion of individual liberties. (Usually the Republicans are too preoccupied trying to make a fast buck (politics often seems “secondary” to capitalism in many Republicans) by deforestation of the land or other such nonsense. 
) It is actually surprising that Libertarians have not expanded to fill the gap. (Note added October 16, 2009: “Nature abhors a vacuum,” but there is little that is “natural” about politics in California.)
Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 585 that would have banned firearm sales at the Cow Palace in Daly City. Essentially the same bill, by the same author (Mark Leno), was defeated last year. (Note added October 21, 2009: Politicians in California save a lot of “bill-writing” time [and waste a lot of debating/voting time] by re-introducing the same, defeated legislation year after year! As they say in high tech, “Write once; read many times.” ) Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 962 into law, however, chipping away further at the Second Amendment Rights of Californians.
The history of AB 962 in this legislative session is here. The “signing message” from Governor Schwarzenegger to the Members of the California State Assembly is here. The measure would require vendors of handgun ammunition (by the way, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition (1, 2) can be used in handguns, of course) to keep a log of information on handgun ammunition sales, to store ammunition in a safe and secure manner (whatever THAT means), and require the face-to-face transfer of ammunition sales (no Internet sales of ammunition, for example). I will have to review the legislation to see whether some of the VERY odious aspects of the original legislation survived, for example, the thumbprinting of ammunition purchasers.
The entire message from Governor Schwarzenegger to the Members of the California State Assembly is below:
“To the Members of the California State Assembly:
I am signing Assembly Bill 962.
This measure would require vendors of handgun ammunition to keep a log of information on handgun ammunition sales, store ammunition in a safe and secure manner, and require the face- to-face transfer of ammunition sales.
Although I have previously vetoed legislation similar to this measure, local governments have demonstrated that requiring ammunition vendors to keep records on ammunition sales improves public safety. These records have allowed law enforcement to arrest and prosecute persons who have no business possessing firearms and ammunition: gang members, violent parolees, second and third strikers, and even people previously serving time in state prison for murder. Utilized properly, this type of information is invaluable for keeping communities safe and preventing dangerous felons from committing crimes with firearms.
Moreover, this type of recordkeeping is no more intrusive for law abiding citizens than similar laws governing pawnshops or the sale of cold medicine. Unfortunately, even the most successful local program is flawed; without a statewide law, felons can easily skirt the record keeping requirements of one city by visiting another. Assembly Bill 962 will fix this problem by mandating that all ammunition vendors in the state keep records on ammunition sales.
As Governor, I have sought the appropriate balance between public safety and the right to keep and bear arms. I have signed important public safety measures to regulate the sale and transfer of .50 caliber rifles, instituted the California Firearms License Check program, and promoted the use of microstamping technology in handguns. I have also vetoed many pieces of legislation that sought to place unreasonable restrictions and burdens on firearms dealers and ammunition vendors. Assembly Bill 962 reasonably regulates access to ammunition and improves public safety without placing undue burdens on consumers.
For these reasons, I am pleased to sign this bill.Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger”
The microstamping technology in handguns referenced above is, arguably, a technology that does not exist yet, but which is already a legal requirement in California starting in 2010. Law enforcement is specifically exempt. (Note added October 16, 2009: The law actually seems to be part of an overall plan to get handguns [all firearms?] out of the hands of all law-abiding people [criminals will ignore THIS law, too!] except law enforcement folks.)
It has always struck me as VERY odd that you will be classed as a Liberal if you support nine of the 10 articles of the Bill of Rights (omitting the Second Amendment) and a Conservative if you support all 10. Just another bit of madness in being an American….
By signing AB 962 into law, Governor Schwarzenegger has confirmed that it is not only the California Democrats that must be watched closely with regard to the erosion of Constitutional Rights in California.
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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