If you needed yet another reason not to move to California, a new proposal in the state legislature should make the growing list.
According to a report at CalMatters, Senate Bill 948 would require gun owners moving to California to complete a four-hour course with live-fire training in order to receive the state-required Firearm Safety Certificate — and to register their firearms within 180 days of their arrival. The measure would also require existing state residents to complete the training and obtain the certificate before purchasing any firearm in the future.
Current law requires only a written exam for the Firearm Safety Certificate.
The measure, introduced in a state that already has among the most restrictive gun laws in the nation, was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on a party-line vote, with no Republicans supporting it. The only silver lining: the training requirement was cut in half from the eight hours originally proposed earlier in the session.
State Sen. Jesse Arreguin, who authored the measure, said the bill is critical for the safety of California citizens.
“Firearm safety is essential in preventing firearm-related incidents, especially those involving children,” Arreguin said during a legislative hearing. “By strengthening training requirements and closing gaps in current law, SB 948 will ensure responsible gun ownership to keep Californians and the community safe.”
What Arreguin didn’t present was any evidence that firearms accidents among new state residents have actually been a problem. That’s because no such evidence exists. The proposal is yet another solution looking for a problem.
Opponents called the bill what it is. Adam Wilson, speaking for Gun Owners of California and Gun Owners of America, called it “a misguided piece of legislation that masquerades as gun safety, but in reality wreaks an insurmountable barrier to exercising a constitutional right.”
“This bill will transform California’s existing FSC into a de facto licensing scheme,” Wilson said at the hearing.
Wilson also noted that SB 948 would saddle license applicants with an estimated $400 cost, disproportionately harming women, people of color, and lower-income residents — many of whom live in higher-crime neighborhoods where the right to self-defense matters most.
“SB 948 is a modern-day poll tax on the Second Amendment, and at its core, SB 948 raises serious constitutional issues,” he said.
Having cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee, the measure now heads to a vote on the Senate floor.