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‘Open Carry’ ban falls short in a surprise

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 AT 6:20 A.M., UPDATED SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 AT 6:42 A.M.

Time ran out for legislation to ban the public display of unloaded handguns, a stunning development in the Assembly as the midnight deadline for passing most bills arrived before a vote could be taken Tuesday.

It was a confounding and confusing end to one of the most controversial gun measures of the legislative year — and one that drew harsh words from Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego, who carried the legislation.

Saldana had pleaded for almost an hour with Democratic leaders to bring the bill up for a vote. But with midnight fast approaching and Republicans stalling, the top Democrat managing floor action in the closing-day chaos decided to sacrifice the gun bill so that other priorities could move ahead.

The Senate had earlier approved the bill by just one vote.

Later, a frustrated and angry Saldana lashed out, calling her own party’s leaders “disorganized” and described as “embarrassing” their refusal to employ parliamentary procedure tactics to choke off GOP debate so the measure could be heard.

Saldana had started to bring the bill up about an hour earlier. But fellow Democrats intervened to force a delay while they debated other measures. That way, they reasoned, Republicans couldn’t filibuster the gun bill, costing about six other measures valuable time.

Democrat Chuck Calderon of Montebello, who was controlling the flow of bill traffic, said he had little choice. Otherwise, other measures would have fallen by the wayside.

Calderon said he was reluctant to take a drastic step to stop debate, saying “Republicans go crazy” when they do that. Democrats still need Republican votes later this year for a budget deal and other urgency measures and could remember not being able to speak on one of their top priorities, gun control.

However, as the final minutes slipped away, Calderon did cut off debate on those bills.

Saldana complained that Calderon had “lost a step” and was outmaneuvered by Republicans.

At one point she was pleading with Calderon, her hands squarely on his chest, almost pushing him backward. Each time he strode off.

“It’s dead,” she said, seconds after the Assembly declared that no more measures, other than urgency bills and budget-related legislation, could be brought up.

Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, was clearly pleased with the tactics Republicans had used to save the day for gun-rights.

“We’ll take victory any way we can get it,” he said.

California had long allowed the open display of handguns as long as they were unloaded.

But police chiefs this year had mounted a drive to outlaw the practice, saying it risked officers’ lives because when they responded they didn’t know whether the guns were loaded.

Gun-rights supporters counter that the bill was in violation of the Second Amendment. They had also openly displayed weapons at staged events to protest what they see as a stinginess by sheriffs to issue concealed weapon permits.

mike.gardner@uniontrib.com (916) 445-2934