How California Got Tough On Guns: Your Guide (long but informative with mild barf)

LAist ^ | November 14, 2019 | Ben Christopher

[DoodleBob]

THE BACKGROUND

The modern American gun debate began on May 2, 1967, when 30 protesting members of the Black Panther Party marched into the California Capitol with loaded handguns, shotguns and rifles.

As photos of gun-toting radicals from Oakland hit front pages across the country, many Americans were shocked to see who was embracing the Second Amendment. In California, as in most states at the time, there were few restrictions on carrying loaded weapons in public.

That soon changed. The Panthers' efforts to "police the police" already had led Republican Assemblyman Don Mulford to propose legislation to ban the "open carry" of loaded firearms within California cities and towns. After the Panthers showed up in the Capitol, his bill sailed through and was signed by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan. (Yes, that Reagan). It's hard to say which now seems more unlikely: that two dozen revolutionaries could legally stroll into the state Assembly chamber with semi-automatic rifles, or that a Republican governor would champion stricter gun control.

In the years since, California's progressive politicians have layered on restrictions while gun owners and manufacturers continue to try to find their way out of them.

The battle continues. New Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced "a gun lobby willing to sacrifice the lives of our children to line their pockets." A National Rifle Association spokesman predicts the Trump-altered Supreme Court means "winter may very well be coming for gun laws in California."

Now, thanks to a 2016 ballot measure championed by Newsom, on July 1 the state began requiring background checks to purchase ammunition. That rule is already being legally challenged and another provision of the measure, which banned high-capacity magazines, has stalled after a district court judge declared it unconstitutional.

[DoodleBob]

I'd be interested CA FReepers opinions on the accuracy of this article. It seems like the state veered harder left gun-wise during the Obama years.

[umgud]

Our guns will now enter hyper-drive. The dems have a super majority in both state houses. And Gavin makes Jerry Brown look like a piker.

Our only hope is for SCOTUS relief and that’s not guaranteed to happen.

Look for 2A issues to get worse in CA.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

The state has been relentlessly veering left on all matters since the '90s, but the open carry of loaded guns was banned in 1967. Here's a history of California's war on guns.

[Bonemaker]

Thanks Ronnie.

[marktwain]

The modern American gun debate began on May 2, 1967, when 30 protesting members of the Black Panther Party marched into the California Capitol with loaded handguns, shotguns and rifles.

False narrative.

California started as a state with an anti-Second Amendment heritage.

During the State Constitutional convention, they rejected a right to keep and bear arms amendment, because they wanted to be able to disarm Hispanics and Chinese.

The Concealed carry permit law was put in place to prevent Hispanics and Chinese from carrying weapons.

In 1967, the Supreme Court was still holding the Second Amendment did not apply to the states.

The Black Panthers were not trying to enforce the Second Amendment. They openly called for armed revolt against the U.S. government. IMHO, they were performing a version of Alynski. Their showing up at the capitol made sure the law against loaded open carry passed.