Alice Zhong
California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation. State Senator Anthony Portantino, who wrote the bill, said the shooting in Florida, along with other school shootings, motivated him.
The new legislation came seven months after a gunman opened fire with a semiautomatic assault-style rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 14 students and three adults, the second-deadliest mass shooting at a public school in U.S. history. The rampage, which authorities say was carried out by a former student who was 19, has spurred unprecedented gun control activism across the nation.
The full law, which goes into effect January 1, 2019, carves out exceptions for hunters, police officers and members of the military. The law would have the following
- Ban anyone convicted of certain domestic violence misdemeanors from owning a firearm for life.
- Prevent people who have been hospitalized more than once in one year for mental health issues from owning a gun for life.
- Require people applying for concealed gun permits to get at least eight hours of gun safety training.
- Allow police to ask for a gun violence restraining order verbally when there’s not time to make a written request.
- Require all California law enforcement agencies to input information on lost or stolen guns into a state database within a week of the agency finding out the firearm was missing.
The National Rifle Association voiced its opposition to the bill, specifically to the measure raising the minimum age required for purchase. The gun-rights group said on one of its websites it was exploring pursuing similar legal action against California, citing the law violates the Second Amendment.
Sources: The LA Times, BBC
