Free Republic

SAN FRANCISCO, (AP) -- Nearly a dozen times over the past century, San Francisco voters have rejected ballot measures to support a takeover of the city's privately run electrical system. But advocates of public power haven't given up their goal of wresting control from Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and this year are linking support of the measure to combating global warming and securing energy independence. Proposition H would amend the city charter to require that San Francisco get 51 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar by 2017, 75 percent by 2030 and...

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco's controversial handgun ban, approved by city voters in 2005, suffered another legal setback Wednesday when it was overturned by a state appeals court panel that ruled it conflicted with state law. Appeals Court Justice Ignazio Ruvolo was critical of the measure, known as Proposition H, in the unanimous 3-0 decision. Ruvolo wrote for the court that "local governments are well advised to tread lightly" when regulating firearms. The justice wrote further that the state laws were intended to balance the "interest of the general public to be protected from the criminal misuse of firearms" and...

The National Rifle Association pressed its case against San Francisco's voter-approved ban on firearm sales and handgun possession in court today, arguing that the ordinance flouts state law by requiring law-abiding residents to surrender their pistols. The city's lawyer countered that a local government is entitled to protect its residents from handgun violence. The hearing ended without Superior Court Judge James Warren ruling on the validity of Proposition H, which was approved by 58 percent of the voters Nov. 8 and was challenged by the NRA, three other organizations and seven gun owners the next day. Warren asked the city...

2A for CA by Jennifer Freeman Citizens of San Francisco recently voted to ban the possession, manufacture, distribution, sale and transfer of handguns and ammunition within their city. They have voluntarily stripped themselves of their Second Amendment rights and they have forcefully removed the rights of other citizens who disagree with their position. And while people across the country may have found this shocking, there are a number of ex-Californians who are not surprised in the least as banning firearms represents an integral element of the "progressive" movement as it strides toward a Communist regime. The National Rifle Association and...

San Francisco voters Tuesday will weigh in on the national debate over gun control by deciding whether to make their city home to the toughest handgun ban in the country. And in a place known for its left-leaning politics, gun opponents would seem almost guaranteed a victory. Proposition H would make it illegal for city residents to possess handguns, and those who already own them would be required to turn the weapons in to police by April 1. The measure also would make it illegal to buy, sell, distribute and manufacture firearms and ammunition within city limits, though there is...