Newsom Signs Slate Of New Gun-Control Bills Into Law
As President Joe Biden’s approval rating circles the drain and many prominent Democrats insist he is too old to serve another term in the White House, rumors have begun to swirl that he could be replaced on the ballot with a younger candidate — and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is a name frequently mentioned in such conversations.
Although he has thus far denied any ambitions to run for president next year, a number of recent executive actions on the state level shed some light on how he might lead if given the opportunity.
After signing a bill into law earlier this week that forces school boards to accept objectionable and even obscene materials as part of their grade-school curricula, Newsom followed up by authorizing nearly two dozen new gun control measures on Tuesday.
While each of the new laws addresses some aspect of the state’s existing gun rights under the guise of reducing violent crime, three are particularly objectionable to gun owners and Second Amendment advocates.
First, SB 2 places serious restrictions on where law-abiding gun owners can carry their weapons in public. These so-called “sensitive places” include parks, public transportation, medical facilities, and government buildings, with more than two dozen specific locations listed in total.
The measure also implements new, higher standards for prospective gun owners to meet before being deemed qualified to obtain a permit. The process now involves interviews, character references, and a review of social media posts.
Next, AB 28 calls for an additional tax on the sale of all firearms and ammunition, tacking on another 11% to such purchases on top of the existing federal tax of roughly the same percentage.
Supporters of the measure tout the fact that the first $75 million raised through this new tax will benefit the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program and the next $50 million is earmarked for security programs within the California Department of Education.
The third particularly controversial bill is SB 452, which mandates a new “microstamping” technology on all semi-automatic guns sold after Jan. 1, 2028. This will mean that a serial number will be imprinted on every shell casing upon firing the weapons.
Even though critics point out that the technology mandated in this and a similar bill passed years earlier does not yet exist, the new law means that guns without the microstamping capability will be illegal to purchase in the state after 2027.
