SACRAMENTO – Following a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas that left at least 19 children and two adults dead Tuesday, Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) announced California will expedite commonsense gun safety laws that will protect people from gun violence.
Governor Newsom, President pro Tempore Atkins and Speaker Rendon announced they would be fast-tracking sensible bills currently moving through the Legislature in order to stem the flow of gun violence. The press conference took place at the State Capitol today and was streamed to social media.
“California will not stand by as kids across the country are gunned down,” Governor Newsom said. “Guns are now the leading cause of death for kids in America. While the U.S. Senate stands idly by and activist federal judges strike down commonsense gun laws across our nation, California will act with the urgency this crisis demands. The Second Amendment is not a suicide pact. We will not let one more day go by without taking action to save lives.”
Governor Newsom and legislative leaders discuss actions to curb gun violence
“We have gotten to a point where we can’t live our lives without the very real fear that every time we say goodbye to our children, spouses, and friends, it could be the last,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego). “These dreadful, devastating tragedies have to stop. Every politician, judge, or Supreme Court Justice who has opted to put more guns on our streets needs to resign today and hang their heads in deep shame. We have to do everything in our power to get guns out of our classrooms and grocery stores and away from people who should never have them. That includes our work this week to move expeditiously on more than a dozen bills that make our communities safer, and I’ll be continuing to work alongside Speaker Rendon and Governor Newsom to ensure that these bills move swiftly through the legislative process so that they can start to make positive change in our communities.”
“In the face of repeated tragedies in our state and elsewhere, California remains committed to doing everything we can to stem the violence,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. “As a society, we must do better.”
“There have been more mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022 than days in the year,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “In California, we refuse to accept the current norm. We will continue to call on our federal leaders and neighboring states to do more, because our nation’s current standard for preventing gun violence is unacceptable. Our children should not suffer this burden. Active shooter drills, metal detectors, and schools that look like prisons are not the answer — we need commonsense gun safety laws. We are sick and tired of seeing young and promising lives cut short due to gun violence. We at the California Department of Justice and leaders throughout California know that addressing gun violence is critical to public safety. As your Attorney General, I vow to do much more than send thoughts and prayers — I will use the full force of the law and my office to end gun violence.”
An initial package of bills the Governor has committed to signing include:
- AB 2571 (Bauer-Kahan) – Restricts advertising of firearms to minors
- AB 1621 (Gipson) – Restricts ghost guns and the parts and kits used to build them
- SB 1327 (Hertzberg) – Creates private right of action to limit spread of illegal assault weapons and ghost guns
- AB 1594 (Ting) – Allows governments and victims of gun violence to sue manufacturers and sellers of firearms
Governor Newsom and legislative leaders will continue working together to expedite additional bills pending before the legislature aimed at curbing gun violence and increasing safety in California communities.
