By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The San Francisco County Board of Supervisors has backed down on a proposed ordinance that would make much of the city into a “gun-free zone” after the Second Amendment Foundation and California Rifle & Pistol Association promised legal action.
According to SAF, action on the ordinance came in the wake of an eight-page letter sent to the Board by an attorney representing both groups.
“This happened after CRPA and SAF sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors explaining why the planned ordinance would be unconstitutional,” said CRPA President Chuck Michel, a longtime practicing attorney and gun rights authority in California. “It is truly unfortunate that San Francisco politicians refuse to respect the Second Amendment and can’t accept the new legal reality that people have a Second Amendment right to carry a firearm in public.”
This was not the first time SAF or CRPA have tangled with San Francisco political leaders on the subject of gun control. SAF has been involved in two legal actions over the years, preventing the city from adopting gun restrictions, including a ban on handguns several years ago.
“As soon as we were advised of this proposal,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “we took action. This is not the first time we’ve had to stop extremist gun control in San Francisco. We successfully sued the city twice over attempted handgun bans, and won both times. We’re prepared to do it again, but our letter to the Board of Supervisors evidently has made that unnecessary.”
According to a prepared SAF statement, the proposal was championed by Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who essentially tabled the motion indefinitely. She can be seen in a video bemoaning the 2023 Supreme Court Bruen decision, which has had a huge impact on gun control efforts across the country. The ruling is considered responsible for compelling the San Francisco Police Department to start issuing carry permits. Stefani referenced proposed state legislation that may be adopted later this summer by lawmakers in Sacramento as a reason to stand down on the proposed ordinance, since it will apparently accomplish the same things, if it passes.
“Our warning to the Board of Supervisors was direct and left little room for doubt about our intentions,” noted SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “The letter clearly explained why the proposal was bad policy, and would result in another SAF-CRPA victory. We also reminded the Board it should wait to see whether the state legislation is adopted and how it fares under litigation. That appears to have had the desired impact.”
