Posted on 04/25/2002 7:33:48 PM PDT by PatrioticAmerican
WEAPONS OF CHOICE Posted: April 25, 2002 By Jon Dougherty Pro-gun-rights activists in California are crediting their constituents with helping defeat a state Assembly bill that would have banned new ownership and importation of .50-caliber rifles. A.B. 2222 would have outlawed the sale and ownership of the firearms in the state, as well as certain types of ammunition. The Assembly's Public Safety Committee, in a vote Tuesday, defeated the legislation 4-2 with one abstention. The committee was originally scheduled to vote on the measure April 2, but a spokesman told WND the vote had been delayed. The bill was sponsored by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-Hollywood. In a statement, Citizens of America, a California-based pro-gun-rights group that opposed the bill, said it did not normally ask recipients of its electronic updates to contact lawmakers about gun-related issues. But when it came to A.B. 2222, "we didn't think [the opposition campaign] was being done effectively, and therefore [we] jumped in." The group said it "focused on this state bill because of California's enormous political influence." The group said that "laws passed and accepted by the people of California often form the basis of national laws. " That was especially true of gun-control laws, COA said, pointing out that after California adopted so-called "assault weapons" bans, federal lawmakers adopted it in a 1994 crime bill. The bill, if it had passed, would have labeled .50-caliber rifles called "sniper rifles" by political opponents as public nuisances subject to stiff regulation. "Existing law requires, except as specified, for the destruction, as a nuisance, of a machine gun possessed in violation of law," said a summary of the measure. "This bill would similarly require, except as specified, for the destruction, as a nuisance, of a .50-caliber sniper weapon possessed in violation of [the] law." COA recommended that gun-rights supporters contact committee members thanking them for killing the measure. Related story: California considers .50-caliber ban Related special offer: 'The Seven Myths of Gun Control"
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Second Amendment Bump.
PS: As a long time resident of the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia, I am amazed at this outcome. Over the past two years, a demoncrat-dominated government has brought forward one repressive, unconstitutional bill after another. Dim one Davis (the governor) has signed many of them, whilst simultaneously running the state into financial bankrupcy (but that's another story).
Anyway, Kudos to those who pressured their representatives!
What that says I'm not sure. Most likely it means Davis is really worried about pissing gun owners off anymore (read, Simon's base) than he already has.
He probably believes that gun owners in CA need to get more comfortable with their current level of being punked out by the state.
Maybe I'll have to drop those kite plans for you Travis.
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