SB 1037 has been pulled from the next Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing and we have to thank you for your outpouring of opposition.

The bill, authored by Senator Ben Allen (D-Redondo Beach) will make non-violent firearms related crimes “continuing offenses.” These offenses involve unlawful self-importation or transfers of firearms. These crimes need not have any criminal intent, nor is there a victim involved. These victimless crimes are the act of import or transfer, not possession.

SB 1037 would make this prosecutable for life- the same as capital murder- all for forgetting to fill out a form and mail it to the California Department of Justice with $19.00.

Yes, Senator Allen believes that not filling out your paperwork properly or forgetting to pay a $19 fee should have the same statue of limitations as capital murder.

But all of us were able to get the bill pulled from the hearing on Tuesday. While it is not an outright victory, it can only mean that the committee and author are having second thoughts.

If SB 1037 were to become law, the act of not filling out the form correctly or failing to send in $19 would be prosecutable for the remainder of the person's natural life.

SB 1037 is simply outrageous and should continue to be opposed. Gun owners are subject to a dizzying array of law at every level of government and SB 1037 sets a history-making precedent that gun owners should be haunted for life for an act that involved perhaps nothing more than ignorance or forgetfulness.