Group of measures would increase gun safety in California
by Brian Leubitz
The optimal result on gun safety legislation would be sweeping reform at the federal level. However, the NRA has put the hammer down on that, so the California “LIFE Act” becomes what we can do today to make our communities safer. The Lifesaving Intelligent Firearms Enforcement (LIFE) Act is made up of seven bills each based on scientifically proven strategies to reduce gun violence. Each bill is compliant with Supreme Court rulings on the 2nd Amendment, however backward they may be.
The Assembly Committee on Public Safety hearing offered a preview of that battle, as dozens of gun-control advocates — including some who have lost loved ones to violent crime — faced off against gun-rights supporters who believe that a basic freedom is threatened.
“This entire package is not focused on trying to prohibit or limit law-abiding citizens from having guns,” state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, told the committee. “It seeks to close loopholes that were never supposed to exist.” But National Rifle Association lobbyist Ed Worley scoffed at that notion.(Josh Richman / BANG)
The Assembly Public Safety Committee voted to pass Senate Bill (SB) 47 today, prohibiting the future sale of assault rifles with a “bullet button,” which allows for the easy removal and replacement of magazines.
Currently, many assault rifles sold in California have a feature known as a bullet button that allows a magazine to be replaced in mere seconds. Yee’s SB 47 will prohibit the use of the bullet button and other devices that allow for easily changeable magazines on all military-style assault weapons, such as AR-15s. Under SB 47, featured weapons would only be allowed to have 10-round ammunition magazines that could not be changed without dissembling the weapon. Essentially, bullets could only be loaded one-by-one from the top of the gun.
“California’s Assault Weapons Ban has protected the public for decades,” said Yee. “SB 47 will allow it to continue to keep Californians safe from military-style weapons.”
Six of the seven LIFE Act bills have now made it through the public safety committee, with the seventh expected to get a full floor vote as well. The NRA and their allies are not giving up on weakening or killing these bills. You can contact your legislators through the Courage Campaign’s Life Lantern website.