A CA bill that would have defined many common household implements as flamethrowers met a fiery end Friday when it failed to advance from the Senate Appropriations Committee.
State Asm. Miguel Santiago’s AB 1949 was a ridiculous bill from the start, and one that initially would have effectively defined welding torches, propane tanks, and common farm implements as “flamethrowing devices.” These items would then be illegal to sell or possess without a special state-issued permit.
Following Firearms Policy Coalition’s objection to the bill though, AB 1949 was amended several times. The bill was modified to classify flamethrowers as either “Tier 1” or “Tier 2,” which were defined based on the distance a device could propel or emit a burning stream of combustible or flammable liquid.
Items that could propel such a stream less than 10 feet would be classified as Tier 2 flamethrowing devices as thus legal to sell or possess without the required state permit.
These amendments were no doubt designed to make the bill less over-broad in its sweeping classification of common items as flamethrowing devices. However, ultimately the bill just turned out to be a waste of the taxpayers’ time and money. And it failed to make it to the Senate floor.
FPC is proud to have been the ONLY opposition against this anti-rights bill. Indeed, legislation that was essentially based off an Internet flame war between Elon Musk and the legislature should never be allowed to see the light of day.
Thank goodness this bill failed to catch fire. AB 1949 is officially toast.
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