Weekly Spotlight 10/27/23 – 11/2/23
California “Assault Weapons” Ban Overruled by U.S. District Court Judge
Last week, a United States District Court judge determined that California’s law banning so-called “assault weapons” violates the Second Amendment. Pointing to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Judge Roger Benitez said “[California] has identified no national tradition of firearm regulation so broad in its coverage or so far reaching in its effect as its extreme ‘assault weapon’ statutes.” He’s referring to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in last year’s NYSRPA v. Bruen case, which ruled that states seeking to implement gun control laws must demonstrate their consistency “with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”
California’s ban on so-called “assault weapons” failed the Bruen test. The law is a sweeping ban of entire categories of guns, which are owned by tens of millions of Americans, and the state could not show that such a ban fit into historical precedent of our nation’s gun laws. This is a welcome development for those who believe strongly in the importance of the Second Amendment.
These bans on “assault weapons” are not only unconstitutional. They’re also incredibly ineffective in achieving their stated purpose, which is to reduce violent crime committed with firearms. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, “rifles – the category that includes guns sometimes referred to as ‘assault weapons’ – were involved in just 3% of firearm murders” in 2020. Anti-gun activists like to use semi-automatic rifles as a cudgel with which to push for more gun control, but the data simply doesn’t support their arguments. Furthermore, the 1994 Crime Bill, which banned some semi-automatic rifles, had little impact on reducing crime or gun deaths according to expert analysis.
Every year it becomes clearer that sweeping gun bans are unconstitutional and ineffective. Unfortunately, they are continually being pushed by anti-Second Amendment politicians in states like California and Illinois, which is why it’s critical that law-abiding gun owners unify their voices to stand up for their rights. The USCCA-FSL Action Fund is working hard to educate and equip YOU with the information and platform you need to make a difference. We hope you will get engaged in your local community and contact your state and federal elected officials to voice your support for Second Amendment rights!
Voice Your OPPOSITION to a Federal “Assault Weapons” Ban
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Three armed and masked suspects who tried to kick open the door of a home in Washington state scurried away when the homeowner fended off the apparent home invasion attempt with gunfire, video shows. One of the masked individuals is heard yelling “Seattle police” before landing a kick on the home’s door, according to the video. The Auburn Police Department said that at about 2 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to a home over reports of a non-injury shooting. Auburn is located nearly 30 miles south of Seattle and 15 miles northeast of Tacoma.
- USA Today: Supreme Court Blocks Parts Of Missouri Law That Declared Federal Gun Prohibitions ‘Invalid’
The Supreme Court on Friday sided with the Biden administration in its fight with Missouri over the state’s controversial “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” upholding a ruling that put on hold the state’s ban on federal gun laws. The law, signed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson in 2021, subjects police who attempt to enforce federal gun laws to lawsuits and $50,000 civil penalties. Conservative officials in the state celebrated its passage, arguing it established Missouri as a state with some of the most permissive gun laws in the nation.
- The San Diego Union-Tribune: Gun Show Attendees Question Sheriff Martinez On Changes To Concealed-Carry Laws
The changing rules for permits to carry a concealed weapon in California were top of mind among San Diego Gun Show attendees Saturday, as several turned out for a question-and-answer session with county Sheriff Kelly Martinez. Martinez spoke to a packed room as one of a list of featured speakers at the Gun Owners Symposium, part of the weekend gun show at the East San Diego Masonic Temple in the Lake Murray neighborhood. The gun show continues Sunday, with another full day of symposium speakers slated.
- Cumberland Times-News (West Virginia): W.Va. Universities Must Now Pay To Implement Campus Carry Bill
West Virginia’s universities, many of which are dealing with financial issues, are now tasked with figuring out how to implement a bill that allows people with a concealed carry permit to carry firearms in many areas of public college campuses. Safety measures can be pricey, and the bill requires universities to place firearm storage cabinets on campus, including in residence halls.