Newsom signs new gun control bills into law and increases sales tax on gun purchases
The governor of California claimed that these regulations "save lives" and said that the death rate in the Golden State is 43% lower than the national average.
Gavin Newsom signed 23 bills into law to control firearms in California. Although California already has some of the most restrictive laws on gun control, the governor signed a new series of bills into law which include increasing restrictions on carrying a concealed weapon and a new 11% tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition. The proceeds will go toward school safety programs.
Response to a federal judge's ruling that struck down the ban on high-capacity magazines
In a statement, the Governor's Office announced that Newsom decided to sign these bills into law sooner than planned following the ruling of a district judge last Friday that struck down a ban on high-capacity magazines in the state. This sparked an angry reaction from the governor. In addition, Newsom's team stressed that this initiative was taken "in the wake of shootings across the country that have left at least 104 people dead over the past 72 hours."
In the press conference, Newsom attacked Judge Benítez and pointed out that these regulations have been successful in preventing gun violence. "While radical judges continue to strip away our ability to keep people safe, California will keep fighting — because gun safety laws work. The data proves they save lives: California’s gun death rate is 43% lower than the rest of the nation. These new laws will make our communities and families safer."
Banning concealed carry in public places
The state attorney general, Rob Bonta, also participated in the event. He spoke out about carrying concealed weapons in public, as well as the prohibition of anyone carrying "dangerous weapons in sensitive places where our children gather":
23 new laws
The statement from the Governor's Office specifies that the 23 laws signed last Tuesday included "SB 2 (Portantino) strengthening the state’s public carry regulations; SB 452 (Blakespear) requiring microstamping on handgun cartridges to help trace guns used in crimes; AB 28 (Gabriel) enacting a first-in-the-nation effort to generate $160 million annually on the sale of bullets to improve school safety and gun violence intervention programs; AB 455 (Quirk-Silva and Papan) keeping guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous individuals; AB 725 (Lowenthal) updating the definition of a firearm to include ghost gun parts; and AB 732 (Mike Fong) strengthening the process for removing firearms from people who are prohibited from owning them."
Newsom signs law that toughens penalties for child trafficking
Last Monday, Newsom signed the SB14 law, which toughens penalties for trafficking minors. The governor's direct intervention in front of the Assembly was crucial in helping it move forward. One commission initially rejected it and Newsom's intervention demanding explanations and his overall interest helped move the process along.