California’s Mixed Bag on Firearm Bills
10/16/09
California sportsmen and other gun owners were dealt a mixed bag as Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed one anti-gun bill, but signed another into law. The governor signed Assembly Bill 962 that requires firearms dealers to keep a registry of all handgun ammunition buyers while banning mail order and Internet sales. The legislation will place an enormous burden on small businesses and, according to some estimates, will cost California at nearly $3 million annually in lost sales taxes and over $600,000 in increased operating costs for state agencies. “We believe this is a terrible decision by the Governor,” stated Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO. “This will not solve the problem of crime, but will seriously harm the rights of law abiding sportsmen and other citizens of California.” The decision by Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign AB 962 was particularly ironic given his veto of Senate Bill 41. That bill would increase paperwork for firearms retailers by requiring additional documentation on all firearm sales. The governor indicated that SB 41 was overly burdensome and would not provide value for law enforcement.
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