California: Gavin Newsom signs several bills to strengthen gun control

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he signed a legislative package that strengthens gun control laws in the state.

One of the laws signed by Newsom allows the court to consider harassment and cruelty to animals as grounds for restricting access to firearms. Current laws only apply restrictions to cases involving felony charges.

In addition, the law tightens safe storage requirements and imposes stricter penalties on gun owners if their firearms are accessed by a child, resulting in death or injury to themselves or others.

The news laws will "provide more tools to keep guns out of dangerous hands by restricting animal abusers and persons found incompetent to stand trial from possessing firearms, as well as by strengthening California’s red flag laws," Newsom's office explained in a statement.

It's not the first time the state has pushed gun control. In fact, AP reported that California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.

"California won’t wait until the next school shooting or mass shooting to act. In the absence of congressional action, our state is once again leading the way by strengthening our nation-leading gun laws," Gov. Newsom said.

Similarly, the Democrat defended his gun control policy. "Data shows that California’s gun safety laws are effective in preventing gun-related deaths — which makes the ongoing inaction and obstruction by politicians in the pocket of the gun lobby even more reprehensible." Newsom insisted.

In addition, according to Gov. Newsom, the new measures also create "more training and tools for child custody caseworkers and law enforcement officers to determine whether abusers may have access to guns."