The California chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement today urging the California State Assembly to pass SB 918, an important piece of gun safety legislation to strengthen the state’s concealed carry permitting system. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen endangered a portion of California’s concealed carry permitting process that has helped keep California safe for decades. SB 918 would strengthen California’s concealed carry permit system in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to ensure the law can continue to protect Californians from gun violence.
“On Monday, California took a huge step forward in the fight to end our state’s gun violence crisis when Governor Newsom signed AB 452 into law. Now we need lawmakers to finish the job by passing SB 918,” said Lisa Henry, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action. “The Supreme Court’s radical decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen is wildly out of step with the people of California, and it puts our communities at risk. We are fighting tooth and nail to get this done today, and we need state lawmakers to do the same — because 40 million families across California are counting on it.”
If passed, SB 918 would make several improvements to California’s concealed carry license system to help keep Californians safe. Some of those measures include:
- Ensuring that licenses are not granted to people who are found to be a danger to themselves or others following a thorough background check
- Prohibiting guns from sensitive areas such as playgrounds, polling places, and hospitals
- Improving training requirements for concealed carry
- Raising the age to carry a handgun in public from 18 to 21
California continues to be a national leader in gun violence prevention policy. Already in the 2022 legislative session, state lawmakers have passed a number of lifesaving gun safety bills.
To finish out the legislative session, lawmakers must act and pass SB 918. More information about gun violence in California is available here.
If you would like to speak with a California Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteer, please do not hesitate to reach out.
