California AG Rob Bonta unveils bill to blunt impact of SCOTUS concealed carry decision
Attorney General
Rob Bonta announced legislation Thursday that he said would withstand the legal challenges likely to result from U.S. Supreme Court ruling that imperils California’s strict gun control laws.
Bonta, joined by state lawmakers at an early afternoon press conference, said Senate Bill 918 would clarify where concealed firearms are forbidden and enumerate the qualifications required for obtaining a concealed carry permit.
State Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-LA Cañada Flintridge, introduced the measure in February as a spot bill, or placeholder, in anticipation of the Supreme Court decision, he said. New amendments will reflect the details of the court’s ruling.
The bill’s specific provisions were not immediately available. SB 918 is currently in the Assembly, where it could be heard by the Public Safety Committee as early as Tuesday, Portantino said.
It’s unclear whether the bill could reach Gov. Gavin Newsom before the Legislature adjourns for summer recess on July 1.
“It is our goal to move quickly, to move prudently and to move decisively to make sure that your families, our families are protected on main street California as intended by just common sense and being a good neighbor,” Portantino said.
California and U.S. concealed carry laws
On a 6-3 vote, the court invalidated a New York law that says gun owners must demonstrate a special need for self-defense to carry a handgun in public. It’s up to local officials to say who can get a concealed carry permit.
While 25 states generally require a permit to carry concealed weapons in public, laws in New York, seven other states and the District of Columbia, including California, are more stringent.
Those eight states and the District of Columbia are considered “may issue” states, meaning they have the discretion to deny a carry permit to an applicant who “has not demonstrated that they would safely or responsibly handle the firearm...or a particularized reason for carrying a weapon in public,” according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Current California law requires people to show good cause to local law enforcement officials why they need to carry a gun in public.
Seventeen other states with a concealed carry permitting process are considered “shall issue” states with less stringent requirements.
The states that don’t fall into the “may issue” or
“shall issue” categories allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
Bonta’s stance is based on a concurring opinion from Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh that said Thursday’s ruling is directed to “may carry” states. This means states like California can still impose some licensing requirements, although they can’t be as strict as they were before,
Bonta on Thursday was quick to respond to the ruling by issuing a statement that general prohibitions against carrying loaded and concealed firearms in public without a permit remain in effect in California.
However, he acknowledged the state can no longer require applicants to demonstrate “good cause” for wanting a concealed carry permit.
Even so, “states like
California still have many venues to prevent senseless deaths,” Bonta said.
California politicians on Supreme Court ruling
Bonta was just one of many California politicians to opine on the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling.
Gov. Gavin Newsom called it a “dark day in America,” while Sen. Dianne Feinstein warned that the decision will lead to more people carrying guns “in bars, in shopping malls, in churches, hospitals, movie theaters, even schools.”
Newsom issued a statement Thursday afternoon that there will be 16 new gun safety bills ready for him to sign next week, including one that would allow individuals to sue gun manufacturers and distributors for violating certain gun laws.
“California has proven that commonsense gun laws save lives, and we will continue to stand up to those in political power who enable and coddle the gun industry,” Newsom said in the statement.
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