Free Republic

ANYONE WHO HAS ever been shot by an air gun does not need to be told that, in the wrong hands, it can be a dangerous weapon. Just ask Orinda City Councilman Steven Glazer. In October of 2003, Glazer was driving in a convertible with his family in Orinda when he felt a hard thump on his neck. When he went to the hospital, doctors told him that he had been shot by a pellet that barely missed his carotid artery. He had to undergo a two-hour surgery and says he still suffers numbness in his face and neck. At...

Legislation prompted by the pellet gun shooting of a Contra Costa County resident has landed on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. Authored by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, the bill would make it a misdemeanor to fire a pellet or BB gun in a "grossly negligent manner that could result in injury or death." "This is a loophole that should have been closed a long time ago," Torlakson said. The legislation passed the Assembly last week and cleared the Senate in January. Schwarzenegger has not said whether he will sign the bill. Some administration officials have expressed opposition. The governor's Office of...