Please read carefully and pass along to family, friends and organizations.
Yesterday, an important gun bill passed the California Legislature and now awaits signature by Governor Schwarzenegger.
AB 962, introduced by Assemblymember Kevin De Leon and co-sponsored by LCAV, will reduce illegal handgun ammunition sales and keep ammunition away from young people, criminals and other prohibited persons. Under AB 962, sellers of handgun ammunition would be required to:
. Maintain records containing certain identifying information about the purchaser and the ammunition being sold. AB 962's record-keeping provision will help deter illegal purchasers and allow local law enforcement to verify that purchasers are not prohibited by law from possessing ammunition. Similar ammunition record-keeping measures in Los Angeles and Sacramento have provided law enforcement with a vital investigative tool.
. Store handgun ammunition so that it is inaccessible to purchasers without the assistance of the vendor. This requirement will significantly deter ammunition theft.
. Require that ammunition sales be completed in face-to-face transactions. This will help prevent criminals and other prohibited purchasers from illegally buying handgun ammunition through the mail (e.g., through catalogs or via the Internet).
Prior to approval in the State Senate, AB 962 was amended in response to concerns from Governor Schwarzenegger's office. Pursuant to those amendments, the bill no longer requires ammunition sellers to acquire state licenses. Assemblymember De Leon's office hopes to address this issue in further legislation next year.
Thanks to everyone who made phone calls and sent e-mails and faxes in support of AB 962. Now, your support is needed more than ever, since the Governor has not indicated whether he will sign the bill in its current form. He has, in fact, vetoed similar legislation in the past. AB 962 will become law unless Governor Schwarzenegger vetoes it by October 11, 2009.
Please contact the Governor's office today and urge him to sign this lifesaving legislation. You may direct your call to the Governor's Office of Legislative Affairs at (916) 445-4341. You may also fax a letter to the Governor, attention Office of Legislative Affairs, at (916) 558-3160.
This law will do nothing to stop criminals from committing violent acts. This is nothing but a feel good law that will have no effect on non-gunowners...and a MAJOR effect on law abiding citizens who want to purchase ammunition.
ReplyDeleteLet's just keep trading away our liberties little by little. I'm sure once the government has them all that we will all be safe (sarcasm definitely intended).