By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—California: Summer recess for the California legislature has begun. 11 bills have passed the Assembly and are in the Senate Appropriations Committee prior to being voted on the Senate floor; 2 bills are awaiting votes in the Senate; while 3 bills have passed the Senate and are awaiting votes in the Assenbly Appropriations Committee; Oregon: On Thursday Gov. Tina Kotek signed HB2005, prohibiting the possession of existing home-built firearms and the raw materials for producing them, unless they have a serial number and are recorded by a Federal Firearms Licensee. Indiana—Indianapolis City Council: Although Indiana has a preemption law the City Council voted to pass an unenforceable ordinance that raises the age to buy a firearm to 21, ends constitutional carry in the city and bans many semi-automatic firearms; Washington: On July 10,The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs published their annual crime report. The murder rate in the state reached an all-time high in 2022, and it is not only homicides increasing, but overall crime has increased with violent crime increasing almost 9%. Read the TGM report here.
State Legislatures/Local communities
California— All Bills that have passed the Assembly and are being considered in the Senate:
The following bills are awaiting action after the recess in the Appropriations Committee: AB28, a bill that adds an excise tax of 11% on all firearms, firearms precursor parts and ammunition; AB36, increasing the time a person subjected to a protective orders from possessing a gun to three years “after” the order has expired; AB97, requiring the CA DOJ to collect and report on prosecutions of misdemeanor offenses relating to unserialized firearms; AB455, adds pretrial diversion as another basis denying firearms possession; AB574, requiring an affidavit from prospective gun buyers that they have confirmed possession of all other guns owned within the past 30 days; AB732, expands current federal law regarding the relinquishing of firearms upon conviction of a prohibiting offense; AB733, prevents state and local government selling surplus firearms, ammunition and body armor; AB1089, expanding current ban on making firearms, AB1133, mandating more training for carry permit applicants; AB1483, a one gun a month restriction on private party sales/transfers; and AB1587, requiring credit card issuers to use merchant codes for firearms and ammunition retailers The following bills are on the Senate Consent Calendar and are ready to be voted on in the Senate: AB301, adds the acquisition of body armor as another basis for issuing a GVRO, gun violence restraining order; and AB1598, requiring firearms dealers to provide a DoJ pamphlet with every sale. Bills that have passed the Senate and are being considered in the Assembly Appropriations Committee: SB2, new restrictive criteria for carry permits and increasing “gun free zones”; SB368, A grab bag of onerous restrictions; and SB452, banning all semi-automatic handguns without microstamping technology.
Indiana—Indianapolis City Council: Although Indiana has a preemption law the City Council voted to pass an unenforceable ordinance that raises the age to buy a firearm to 21, ends constitutional carry in the city and bans many semi-automatic firearms.
Massachusetts: Following the lead of California, New York and New Jersey HD4420, the Massachusetts version of the Bruen response bill, will require: all firearms and magazine to have serial numbers, mandatory registration of all firearms and magazines and the reporting of any loss or theft of firearms and magazines; raise the minimum age for firearms ownership to 21, require live-fire training for permits, expand the current assault weapons ban, turn private property into “sensitive places, and allow handgun sales of only “smart” guns.
Michigan: SB83, the red flag law signed by Gov. Whitmer does not become effective until the 91st day after final adjournment of the 2023 Regular Session. According to WKAR public media “Some Michigan counties are refusing to comply with a new state gun safety law, saying the legislation is unconstitutional. Commissioner, Brian Droscha on the Eaton County Board of Commissioners is pointing out a problem with the law that allows courts to hold a hearing on a “red flag” order after firearms have been seized from a person. He has introduced a measure in the county commission “Resolution in Support of the Second Amendment of the US Constitution and the Michigan Constitution.”
Oregon: On Thursday, Gov. Tina Kotek signed HB2005, prohibiting the possession of existing home-built firearms and the raw materials for producing them, unless they have a serial number and are recorded by a Federal Firearms Licensee.
Tennessee: Although the Special Session on Guns is scheduled for late August to consider two bills, HB1233/SB1029 and a Temporary Mental Health Order of Protection Bill (TMHPB) (no number yet assigned), a group of legislators led by Rep. Bryan Richey is circulating an open letter to persuade Governor Bill Lee to cancel the session.
Washington: Last Monday, July 10,the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) published their annual crime report, and it was bad news for the Evergreen State. The number of murders rate in the state reached an all-time high in 2022, the highest number in 115 years of statistics. While at the same time Washington has had the lowest number for law enforcement staffing (per capita) of the 50 states for the 13th year in a row. And yet, it is not only homicides but overall crime has increased with violent crime increasing almost 9 percent. Homicides went up 96 percent between 2019 and 2022. Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms had this observation: “Passage of Initiative 594 in 2014 and I-1639 in 2018 have accomplished nothing other than to create massive impairments (on the right to keep and bear arms), which we believe are unconstitutional, for law-abiding Washington citizens.”
