California and Governor Newsom have been battling the gun ‘problem’ for years. While they take one step forward, they then take one step back. Missourians must heed what is happening in California to prevent it from coming here.
A U.S. district judge in San Diego had previously overturned California’s “one-gun-a-month” law in March, ruling that such restrictions were unconstitutional. However, while the case is going through the appeals procedures, California residents can purchase firearms as frequently as they want for the time being while a federal appeals court considers its constitutionality. Recently, a state law had limited residents to no more than one gun purchase every 30 days.
Timeline
California lawmakers first imposed a purchase limit on handguns in 1999. They got by with it, saying that they were restricting gun purchasing from criminals. In 2019, lawmakers added an amendment that imposed the once-every-30-day limit on semiautomatic rifle purchases. As they were making progress, on Jan. 1 of this year, an amendment took effect that limited residents to one purchase of a firearm of any kind within 30 days.
California claims it is restricting criminals from purchasing firearms.
Court Reasoning
First, a U.S. district judge in San Diego overturned the one-gun-a-month decree and ruled that such restrictions were unconstitutional. Then, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in that appeal. The same judges issued an order reversing a stay of the district judge’s decision — essentially blocking the state’s ability to enforce the one-gun-a-month laws while considering the appeal.
Time will tell of the government can get by with restricting our second amendment.
