Posted on 06/05/2005 1:07:43 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
SACRAMENTO – A novel proposal to etch identifying serial numbers on handgun ammunition sold in California narrowly passed the Senate yesterday, although supporters conceded the legislation remains a work in progress.
The measure, Senate Bill 357, passed on a bare-majority, 21-14 vote that split along party lines, with Democrats in support. The vote sent the bill to the Assembly, which has long been the decisive battleground for gun-control initiatives.
A related measure, to require manufacturers to equip some semiautomatic handguns with components that would place an identifying code on spent cartridges, passed the Assembly 41-38 and was sent to the Senate.
The Senate measure is sponsored by Attorney General Bill Lockyer but so far has drawn tepid support from the balance of the state's law enforcement community. It would link purchasers to handgun ammunition through an electronic swipe of a driver license at the point of sale.
Manufacturers say the proposal would force drastic changes to a high-volume, low-margin business. The required modifications to the manufacturing process, the companies warned, would either drive them out of business or send consumer prices skyward.
Sen. Joseph Dunn, a Garden Grove Democrat who introduced the bill for Lockyer, said he is working with law enforcement groups to resolve concerns about how to treat a massive existing inventory, possession of unmarked ammunition in homes and an exemption sought for shooting ranges.
Sen Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, illustrated the magnitude of the potential ammunition stockpile in the state. He has used about half of a substantial supply his father left when he died in 1981, Morrow said.
"If I plan right, I figure it will get me through the rest of my life," Morrow said.
Morrow and other opponents questioned whether the proposal, which has never been attempted anywhere else, was technologically feasible. Aides to Lockyer said manufacturers place individual serial numbers on many different consumer products.
The Assembly bill, AB 352 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, would apply only to future production of easily concealable semiautomatic handguns that have not passed a state safety test.
This must be the most egregious legislation the democrats have written in quite a while. Lockyer had gubenatorial ambitions. I guess he thinks this will be a winner with the voters?
Those are good questions. I imagine they would make it illegal for California citizens to own unmarked ammunition. As for whether self-loading is allowed, I'm not sure. I've not gotten into that myself, and I'm not aware if it's legal or not. My guess at this point, is that it is still legal, but I wouldn't but money on it.
I don't see California colapsing in the typical sense. It's a wealthy state if it's leaders just put their minds to it.
What I see happening is separatists moving into positions of power, and encouraging the populace to move away from the nation, because California pays out more taxes than it gets back.
Right now we have a separatist as Mayor of L.A. The Lt Governor is also a separatist. I wouldn't be at all surprised if a number of people in the Legislature were too.
Look, whatever the ploy used, it's going to sound too good for the illiterate masses to pass up. Leaders can always come up with a good sounding reason to support evil, if they want to.
I'd hardly call it progress. LOL
Nuts! What will the authorities do with folks that have boxes of reloads prior to the new law? Expiration dates?
Register your existing bullets and ammunition today and we will not arrest you later. I guess new law will really work with the gangs too. Is there something in the water in Cali?
LOL! Me neither, but that's what the supporters call it... "a work in progress."
I find this entire idea wholly disturbing. Passed by a party line vote. Thank God, no GOP signed on.
Yep. Sounds like another proposal for more tax dollars rather than REALLY trying to curb violence. Big surprise.
I'm sorry, did I miss anything on this thread, I had to go to the bathroom to deposit "a work in progress."
This regulation is unenforceable and everyone knows it. There is no way that all ammo in the hands of citizens can be checked for legality. This bill doesn't have a chance, IMHO.
You missed plenty...lol.
Which is, of course, the REAL agenda.
I read on another thread about this bill that posessing "un-registered" ammo by 2007 will be a crime.
Yeah, it's always a good idea to appease. It worked well against Hitler.
Oh, but it is. You don't bother to check the populace for compliance. It's just that -- bingo! -- when you pick somebody for something else, here's another nice, juicy felony you can stick him with.
Like so much unreasonable legislation, many of us have too much at stake to break it, but criminals do not. It's another "disarming good citizens" measure.
Carolyn
We are retiring & moving to Oregon. Cali can kiss goodbye 100% of the sales & income tax we pay. And, despite Oregon's liberal reputation, they have shall-issue, no sales tax, and property tax limitation. Plus, property costs are much lower than CA.
Property value is higher.
What is needed is MORE GUN SHOWS in Az,Nv and Or with unmarked, and cheaper, ammo!
Won't work. Retired CA government, town, county workers will just move east to avoid the social havoc, economic collapse, poor service and high taxes. Since they're retired, they'll have time, desire for power, and the 'experience' necessary to run for local government, which you won't have because you'll be working to pay federal taxes to bail out the California state workers pension program.
So, serf, get back to tending you field.
Does this outlaw frangible bullets since nothing would survive upon which a serial number could be read? Or are frangible bullets already illegal?
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