California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two sets of laws on Tuesday, September 26, to tighten the state's already stringent firearms guidelines. The rules impose steep increases in the price of weapons and ammunition and ban their open carry in most public areas.
New Sets of Gun Laws
Current federal gun and ammo sales taxes are 10% or 11%. The new legislation mandates an additional 11% sales tax. An advocacy group for gun control, Brady, claims that this makes California the only state to impose a tax on firearms and ammunition separately.
Revenue from the sale of firearms and ammunition will be used to support a wide range of initiatives across the state. California's Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program will get the first $75 million.
The government plans to use the $50 million collected in taxes to improve safety at public institutions. The funds will be used to increase the school's physical safety, expand the availability of after-school activities, and expand access to counseling and therapy for students, faculty, and staff.
One of the new rules enacted on Tuesday prohibits individuals from carrying weapons in most public settings.
Public parks, public rallies and meetings, amusement parks, churches, banks, zoos, and any other privately held business institution accessible to the public are among the 26 locations where firearms are prohibited under the new rule.
Following this, AP News reported that the California Rifle and Pistol Association has filed a lawsuit.
Gun Violence in the US
According to USA Today, the Safer Communities Act was enacted by a large majority of Congress and the Senate last year under the administration of President Joe Biden. This bill established a $750 million fund to entice states to pass "red flag laws."
As a result, the "boyfriend loophole" was closed by including domestic violence offenders in romantic relationships in the national criminal background check system. It made it illegal to trade weapons over state lines and established a clear definition of a "federally licensed firearm dealer."
It also increased the consequences for "straw purchases" done on behalf of those who are prohibited from owning firearms. The age at which purchasers must pass a background check was raised to 21.
For the second year in a row, 2021 had the greatest number of gun deaths ever recorded in the United States, with approximately 49,000 fatalities. More than half of all deaths among Black teens were the result of gun violence, making it the top cause of mortality among kids and teenagers.
The most recent data reveals a possible decline in shootings. According to preliminary statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of homicides committed with firearms decreased in 2022. Gun Violence Archive executive director Mark Bryant reported a 5% drop in fatalities and injuries caused by firearms this year.
