California faces legal battle over new restrictions on concealed carry permits

By lauraharris // 2023-09-28

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California is once again at the center of a contentious legal battle over gun rights as private citizens and several gun owner organizations have filed a federal lawsuit against the state and the recently passed Senate Bill 2 (SB 2), which imposes new restrictions on concealed carry permits. The lawsuit, filed against California Attorney General Rob Bonta, was initiated by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting gun rights, just hours after SB 2 was passed by the Democrat-controlled State Senate. "SB 2 is designed to frustrate and ultimately discourage individuals from exercising their right to bear arms by creating a patchwork of locations where Second Amendment rights may, or may not, be exercised," stated SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. Under the new law , the legal age for firearm purchases is set to 21, training requirements for concealed carry weapon permits are increased and the the list of gun-free public spaces in the state are expanded. However, it removes the "good cause" requirement for getting a concealed carry permit. The gun-free public spaces in California prohibit the carrying of loaded firearms in government buildings, courts, schools, airports, public transportation hubs, churches, children's playgrounds, hospitals, places that sell alcohol, state parks, banks, libraries and other so-called "sensitive places." The new law also provides business owners and churches the option to post signs specifically allowing firearms on their property. Judges and current and retired law enforcement officers are also exempt from these location restrictions. "Overall, SB 2 is a massive prohibition on legal carry throughout the Golden State, which runs counter to what the U.S. Supreme Court said in its Bruen ruling last year," said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. The lawsuit is backed by several gun-owner organizations, including the Gun Owners of America, the Gun Owners Foundation, the Gun Owners of California and the California Rifle and Pistol Association. Several private citizens have also backed the lawsuit.

Controversial concealed carry law sparks heated debate

SB 2 saw strong opposition from Republican lawmakers in the state legislature, who argued that the focus should be on addressing gun crimes rather than imposing stricter regulations on gun owners. State Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher argued that SB 2 was misguided and unfairly targeted law-abiding citizens. "This bill puts the focus on the wrong people," Gallagher contended. "It's focused on law-abiding citizens who are not committing crimes and who are not using guns to hurt people in this state." Gallagher criticized the Assembly for rejecting other bills that he claimed would have addressed gun crimes more effectively. "It's sick. Don't lecture me about gun control and gun violence if you're not going to do something about the people who are the real problem and continue to go after law-abiding citizens," Gallagher insisted. "It's wrong, and we should stop it today by voting no and passing good measures that actually go after the people committing these crimes." GOP Assemblyman Bill Essayli, another opponent of SB 2, framed the bill as an assault on constitutional rights, particularly the Second Amendment. "Let's stop pretending that we care about gun violence, and let's say what this bill really is—it's an attack on the Second Amendment," Essayli declared during the September 11 debate. "I'll be opposing this, and I look forward to the Supreme Court striking this down as well." (Related: Pro-2A group sues Connecticut over UNCONSTITUTIONAL state law banning open carry.) Check out Guns.news for more stories related to gun control measures. Watch the full episode of "Faithful Freedom" with Teryn Gregson featuring Dawn Jolly discussing why anti-open carry legislation is not lawful and does not make people safe. This video is from the We The Patriots USA channel on Brighteon.com.

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Controversial concealed carry law sparks heated debate

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