Since Introduction of the Gun Safety Legislation, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers Have Visited Lawmakers, Testified, Phonebanked, and Taken Digital Actions in Favor of the Bills.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement after lawmakers in both chambers voted to advance common-sense gun safety legislation, including a bill to strengthen California’s gun safety laws after they were threatened by the Supreme Court’s Bruen ruling. AB 28 advanced the Assembly and SB 2 advanced the Senate, and now go to opposite sides of the State Capitol for a vote on the Senate and Assembly respectively.
“These bills are a crucial step in continuing to tackle gun violence in California,” said Renia Webb, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are grateful for our gun sense champions and community partners who worked so hard to pass these comprehensive bills that seek to make our communities safer by strengthening our concealed carry laws that were weakened by a Supreme Court decision and target the root causes of gun violence. We look forward to continuing working with lawmakers to turn these bills into law and protect California families from the threat of gun violence.”
The life-saving measures that were advanced in their respective chambers are:
- PASSED SENATE: SB 2 (Portantino) – legislation to update and strengthen the portions of California’s concealed carry licensing law that were weakened by the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen decision and to address the potential dangers posed by an increased number of people carrying concealed firearms in California, including by prohibiting guns from playgrounds, preschools, college campuses, polling places, and other sensitive locations.
- PASSED ASSEMBLY: AB 28 (Gabriel) – legislation to establish the Gun Violence Prevention, Healing and Recovery Fund to provide vital resources to life-saving programs, including the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) grant program, supported by a modest industry tax on businesses selling firearms and ammunition.
California has some of the strongest gun laws in the country and leads the nation in having the most comprehensive system for removing firearms from those who are legally prohibited from having a gun. In an average year, 3,253 people die by guns and 7,293 are shot and wounded. The state ranks 45th nationwide for the societal cost of gun violence at $1,060 per person each year. Gun deaths and injuries cost California $41.9 billion, of which $1.1 billion is paid by taxpayers. More information about gun violence in California is available here.