California Governor signs numerous gun control bills: pic.twitter.com/F86hawkRqs
— Firearms Policy Coalition (@gunpolicy) September 26, 2023
Today, California’s proudly hoplophobic, perpetually self-promoting Governor Gavin Newsom indulged all of the California legislature’s worst anti-gun instincts and signed into laws a huge slate of gun rights restriction bills. One of them, naturally, was SB2 a classic Bruen response bill meant to limit the places permit-holding Californians can legally carry a firearm.
Yes, that directly contradicts the opinion in Bruen, but that hasn’t stopped other usual suspect states like New York, New Jersey and others from taking that same tack.
The Firearms Policy Coalition knew this was coming, of course, and almost simultaneously filed a federal lawsuit challenging the regulatory middle finger California raised at both the Supreme Court and gun owners.
“SB2 restricts where persons with licenses to carry a concealed weapon may legally exercise their constitutional right to wear, carry, or transport firearms. And it does so in ways that are fundamentally inconsistent with the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen,” argues the complaint. “The Second Amendment does not tolerate these restrictions. This Court should enter judgment enjoining their enforcement and declaring them unconstitutional.”
“With Gov. Newsom’s signing of SB2 today, California continues to exhibit its disdain for the rights of Californians, the U.S. Constitution, and the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision,” said Cody J. Wisniewski, FPC Action Foundation’s General Counsel and Vice President of Legal, and FPC’s counsel. “Unfortunately for California, and contrary to Governor Newsom’s misguided statements, the state does not have the power to unilaterally overrule individual rights and constitutional protections. Fortunately, courts across the nation have already struck down laws just like SB2, and we expect the same result here.”
FPC is joined in this lawsuit by three individuals, Orange County Gun Owners, San Diego County Gun Owners, and California Gun Rights Foundation.
