CALIFORNIA: Assembly passes bill to ban open carry of unloaded rifles

SacBee: Capitol Alert ^ | 5/3/12 | Jim Sanders

[SmithL]

Legislation that bans carrying unloaded rifles in public was passed Thursday by the Assembly.

The measure, Assembly Bill 1527, cleared the lower house 44-28 with no Republican support.

Proposed by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, the bill is similar to a new state law banning the open carry of handguns that took effect Jan. 1.

AB 1527 takes aim at a movement that encourages people to show up at public places with unloaded weapons. Supporters contend that openly displaying firearms can startle onlookers, scare children and provoke violence.

Portantino said the appearance of gun-wielding people in public can escalate tensions and spark tragedy.

"We in this chamber have the ability to prevent that tragedy," he said.

[ebshumidors]

Thanks for spamming the thread. Some of us are on blackberries.

[DrewsMum]

Surely SCOTUS will smack this down. Surely!

[DrewsMum]

Surely SCOTUS will smack this down. Surely!

[M Kehoe]

An unloaded rifle is a club. So Kalifornia is banning clubs? What would the caveman do?

5.56mm

[Celerity]

Someone states that they may CAUSE violence ?

How does an exposed rifle cause violence ? Did the may day rioters have rifles ? Maybe bandanas and armpit-stink cause violence.

[muir_redwoods]

Tell the legislators of Clownifornia not to worry. Soon the good people will be in the streets with loaded weapons and torches and pitchforks

[FreedomPoster]

I guess I’m lucky enough to have never had to carry one. Scrolling past that on my iPhone as we taxi to the gate was just no big deal, and I kind of enjoyed the glimpses of the passages I’ve seen before as I went by.

[Redcloak]

They're painting themselves into a corner. Openly carrying an unloaded handgun is illegal. Openly carrying any loaded firearm is illegal. And now, if Chubs Portantino gets his way, openly carrying an unloaded long gun will be illegal. That leaves CCW as the only legal option for self-defense with a firearm outside the home.

And now it's time for the big but...

But, CCW is, for all intents and purposes, illegal in most urban jurisdictions. If you're not a Hollywood celebrity or a big political donor, you're not going to get a CCW in places like L.A. or San Francisco. Thus this bill closes off the last legal alternative to CCW. And until now, Federal courts have rejected challenges to the capricious CCW policies of the State's big cities. The courts cited open carry as a legal alternative making CCW unnecessary to exercise one's 2nd Amendment rights.

Now that argument is about to vanish. if Chubs gets his way, the courts will have no alternative but to strike down the cities' "may (but probably won't) issue" policies. Portantino will be forcing "shall issue" CCW down their throats!

[Rio]

Shotguns next?

[Rio]

Shotguns next?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

There have been some reports, however, of open carry guns causing gun-control liberals to suffer an attack of “the vapors”, with some attributed to delayed reaction “hissy fits”.

[Myrddin]

I looked into a CCW when I was still a resident of CA living in San Diego. Too many barriers. If you're not a celebrity or a judge, you're not getting a CCW in San Diego. After moving to Idaho, it took 90 days to get my CCW. That's the "wait" time for the FBI background check. I've had it in hand since 2001. Not of much value as I sit working in San Diego. I won't bring any of my firearms inside the state of CA.

[Cailleach]

But, how do they hunt?

[US_MilitaryRules]

[Nebr FAL owner]

Gotta keep the peasants in line don’t you know don’t want them getting uppity now do they ( the politicians).

[OneWingedShark]

>The courts cited open carry as a legal alternative making CCW unnecessary to exercise one’s 2nd Amendment rights.
>
>Now that argument is about to vanish. if Chubs gets his way, the courts will have no alternative but to strike down the cities’ “may (but probably won’t) issue” policies. Portantino will be forcing “shall issue” CCW down their throats!

Or they could just deny everyone any standing. After all the would-be litigants cannot show any *physical* harm.
(That about summarizes the talk I had with a lawyer about pursuing [voiding] a state statute due to its being contrary to the State’s own Constitution.)

[Redcloak]

That approach will work in a State court. (The CA Supreme Court once denied standing to the owner of an “assault” weapon because the rifle itself wasn’t a person!) But it won’t fly in a Federal court; not even the 9th Circus.

[stevie_d_64]

Well...California, you get what you vote for...

It really is sad, it is a beautiful state...

[stevie_d_64]

“Portantino said the appearance of gun-wielding people in public can escalate tensions and spark tragedy.”

And the sudden appearance of gun weilding thugs committing a crime with those guns is not escalating and sparking tragedies in your state???

I’m sure ALL the criminals are going to adhere to your edict.../sarc

California government is completely full of people dumber than a bag of hammers...And many more lining up to take their place...

What a shame...

[stevie_d_64]

“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone...”

How’s the gun control stuff working for you fellas down under???

[No offense intended, just a friendly ribbing there...]