Legislation to close dangerous loophole in firearm open-carry law introduced on first day of Legislative Session
(Sacramento) – Marking the beginning of the 2017 Legislative Session, this afternoon, Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) introduced Assembly Bill 7 which will close a loophole in firearms law. This piece of legislation is the beginning of a series of bills aimed to close loopholes in gun safety legislation in order to fight the NRA and keep communities across California safe. Current law bans the open carry of rifles in incorporated areas, but does not include unincorporated areas of the state, like East Los Angeles and parts of Compton and Carson that have tens of thousands of residents. This bill will prohibit the open carry of weapons like rifles and shotguns in unincorporated areas and will instead require counties to designate specific areas where this practice is lawful.
“Gun violence is one of the most important public safety crises that our society faces today. California has been a leader in gun violence prevention and has been on the forefront of reform for the last thirty years. Unfortunately the progress we have made is often met with opposition from the NRA and other pro-gun organizations who dedicate their time to finding obscure loopholes in our laws in order to undermine the intent of the legislation – to keep our communities safe. As a former peace officer and your California State Assemblyman, I am proud to say I have been a part of the effort to curb the wave of violence that plagues communities across our state and nation. This year in the Legislature I will take it one step further and focus on closing these loopholes so the NRA can no longer diminish our mission to end gun violence and enhance public safety across the state. The open carry of firearms in residential areas is a dangerous practice that can put the lives of law enforcement officers and citizens at risk,” said Assemblymember Gipson.
This proposal will begin moving through the legislature and will be heard once committees start to meet in the coming year. By ensuring this loophole – and other loopholes exploited by the NRA - are closed, citizens in unincorporated areas and communities across California can have peace of mind knowing that weapons that are designed to kill are not openly flaunted in their communities.
“I am concerned that someone can open-carry rifles in densely populated areas, confusing the public into thinking an active shooter situation is about to occur, which could lead to an armed police response and threaten public safety, making the practice of safe policing in California extremely difficult.” Continued Assemblymember Gipson. “Too many members of my district and in California die from gun violence every year and this bill is a sensible measure to prevent more tragedy from happening.”
For more information, or to read the contents of the bill, please visit Assemblymember Gipson’s website at - http://asmdc.org/members/a64/.
Mike Gipson represents the 64th Assembly District. The district includes the cities of Carson, Compton, Gardena, Harbor Gateway, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, South Los Angeles, Torrance, Watts/Willowbrook and Wilmington.