California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is quickly making a name for himself as the most radical leader of any state. On Tuesday, he signed a series of 23 gun control bills that only solidified his government as the most aggressive against Second Amendment rights.
Newsom lined up solidly behind those who believe that stripping liberties away from law-abiding Americans will solve violent crime.
The most egregious bill is SB 2. This new law virtually extinguishes the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense outside of the home. Of course, it runs directly counter to the Supreme Court, and that’s the entire point.
He really knows how to make people leave CA ~ ~ Newsom signs gun laws that add new taxes and limit where owners can carry firearms https://t.co/8c4JHVasiw pic.twitter.com/X2upcqJ1SO
— Mary (@matjendav4) September 27, 2023
More than two dozen locations are now “sensitive places” that are off limits for concealed weapons. They include government buildings, medical facilities, bars, daycare centers, schools, public transit, parks and playgrounds.
All commercial businesses in California are now “sensitive places” unless the owner explicitly indicates differently.
SB 2 further tightens restrictions on who may legally qualify for a gun license. County sheriffs and other authorities must determine whether an individual is a “disqualified person,” whatever that means.
The ink was barely dry on the new law when the Firearms Policy Coalition filed suit on Tuesday. Carralero v. Bonta charged the state with regulating firearms in a manner that is “fundamentally inconsistent with the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen.”
Last year’s Bruen ruling by the high court emphatically established that law-abiding citizens have the right to bear arms for self-defense outside of the home.
California and other blue states immediately set out to counter the decision with laws restricting concealed and open carry.
Newsom also on Tuesday signed into law a bill that doubles the tax levied on firearms and ammunition. Each purchaser of a weapon or ammo must pay an 11% excise tax on top of the 10% or 11% the federal government already charges.
Proponents justified the new tax by funneling the revenue collected from law-abiding citizens to violence prevention programs. Newsom said it was “a small price to pay” and a “modest investment.”
The new taxes are expected to raise some $160 million annually. The state, for the record, faces a shortfall of over $31 billion for the fiscal year.
California is now the only state that demands a special tax to purchase weapons or ammunition. This only bolsters its position as the most vehemently opposed to Second Amendment rights, and Newsom is the ringleader.
