A bill passed the California Assembly Public Safety Committee this week that seeks to ban the sale of firearms and ammunition at the Cow Palace, effectively putting an end to gun shows at the famous venue.

SB 221 met widespread opposition from a diverse array of groups, including the Firearms Policy Coalition, the Western Fairs Association, and Crossroads of the West Gunshows.   

However, some of the most pointed criticism ironically came from Democrat Assemblyman Bill Quirk, who opined “My concern and the reason I won’t be supporting your bill is that I just feel this is a situation where all the laws are observed, and if people don’t buy a gun here, I’m worried that they will buy a gun in a place where those laws aren’t observed.”

But the bill’s author, Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), didn’t seem phased at the prospect of driving gun sales underground.

“This country is awash in guns,” Wiener said. “And it is absolutely frustrating that these gun shows continue to exist.”

This notion was also echoed by a useful student idiot, who declared “there’s this idea out there that there’s just this right that people have.”

It therefore only made sense that the Democrat-majority committee, which enjoys frequently taking away people’s rights, moved to pass SB 221 on a vote of 4-2. The bill will now be heard by the Committee on Appropriations.

In addition to SB 221, a whole host of other anti-gun bills were heard in committee this week, including:

SB 1100

What the bill does: As amended, SB 1100 would prohibit those under 21 from purchasing a firearm. The bill is utterly unconstitutional, as it restricts law-abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights. Worse, it treats Californians unequally, by exempting police and hunters from this age prohibition.

What happened: The bill passed in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a vote of 5-2. It will now be heard by the Committee on Appropriations.

AB 3

What the bill does: AB 3 is another bill that would prohibit the sale, supply, or delivery of firearms and ammunition to a person under 21. This is yet another unconstitutional infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens.

What happened: AB 3 passed in the Senate Public Safety Committee on a vote of 5-2. It will now be heard by the Committee on Appropriations.

AB 2888

What the bill does: AB 2888 is a further expansion of the illegal Gun Violence Restraining Order scheme in California. The bill add co-workers and school employees to the list of people who can request that your guns be confiscated without due process of law. If it is signed into law, expect many cases of fraud and abuse as individuals have GVROs placed on them without evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

What happened: AB 2888 passed in the Senate Public Safety Committee on a vote of 5-2. It will now be heard by the Committee on Appropriations.

SB 1200

What the bill does: This bill would expand the already illegal and unconstitutional Gun Violence Restraining Order scheme to further violate due process rights. SB 1200 would apply a GVRO, a court order to confiscate your firearms, to gun parts. In effect, this would mean you could be found in violation of such an order for being in possession of things like common springs and blocks of metal. The obvious purpose of this bill is to expand who can be arrested and deprived of their gun rights.

What happened: SB 1200 passed in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a vote of 6-1, with Republican Tom Lackey voting in favor of the bill. It will now be heard by by the Committee on Appropriations.

AB 1968

What the bill does: This bill would criminalize gun owners with legitimate mental health concerns. Instead of compassionately trying to help these individuals, the Legislature is seeking a lifetime ban on gun ownership for anyone admitted to a mental health facility more than once in a year. This amounts to permanent gun confiscation, and is a blatant violation of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

What happened: AB 1968 passed in the Senate Public Safety Committee on a vote of 6-1. It will now be heard by the Committee on Appropriations.

What you can do to fight these anti-gun bills

You can visit our Take Action Page and send your representatives a message that you will not stand for these unconstitutional bills!