By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, with only months remaining in his term, has signed ten new gun control measures, including one piece of legislation almost sure to draw legal challenges.
Senate Bill 948, authored by Berkeley Democratic Sen. Jesse Arreguín, will require new gun buyers to take a gun safety class in order to buy a firearm, starting in January 2029. Newsom, a far left Democrat who has hinted a run at the presidency, touted the ten bills as accomplishments in a news release from his office.
Listed as the bills he signed on Saturday are:
- Senate Bill 948
- Senate Bill 1220 by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) — Firearms: prohibited persons
- Assembly Bill 1743 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) — Firearms
- Assembly Bill 1753 by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) — Protective orders: firearms and ammunition: notice and procedures
- Assembly Bill 1943 by Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) — Pupil safety: notifications: firearms
- Assembly Bill 1974 by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco) — Firearms: voluntary firearm storage program
- Assembly Bill 2047 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) — 3-dimensional printing blocking technology
- Assembly Bill 2339 by Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) — Firearms: prohibited persons
- Assembly Bill 2378 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) — California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program
- Assembly Bill 2636 by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey) — Juveniles
Under the terms of SB 948, “This bill would require an applicant for a firearm safety certificate, on or after January 1, 2029, to complete within the prior year a training course no less than 4 hours in length that, among other things, includes instruction on firearm safety and handling and live-fire shooting exercises on a firing range. The bill would authorize the Department of Justice to promulgate regulations and provide additional information for the implementation of these provisions.”
The California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) opposed the legislation, declaring in a letter reported by Cal Matters, “Public safety is better served by enforcing existing laws against prohibited persons, prosecuting violent criminals, and supporting voluntary education programs.”
Referring to Senate Bill 1220, which prohibits someone from owning a firearm for a period of 10 years if they’re convicted removing a serial number from a gun, CRPA reportedly wrote, “Imposing a 10-year blanket prohibition on Second Amendment rights for such misdemeanors goes beyond what is necessary for public safety.”
Expect legal action on the two Senate bills, and possibly on the Assembly bills as well.
