California moves to tighten gun laws. Agree? (Talkback)

Should California tighten gun-control laws in California in response to mass shootings? State lawmakers advanced a dozen measures Wednesday that would toughen some of the strictest gun-control laws in the nation.

Under a bill passed by the Senate, ammunition buyers would would have to submit personal information and a $50 fee for a background check by the state, Times Sacramento reporter Patrick McGreevy reported.

The state Department of Justice would determine whether buyers have a criminal record, severe mental illness or a restraining order that would disqualify them from owning guns. Ammo shops would check the name on buyers’ driver’s licenses against a state list of qualified purchasers.

The goal of the bill is “to ensure that criminals and other dangerous individuals cannot purchase ammunition in the state of California,” said Sen. Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles), author of SB 53.

The Senate also passed SB 374, which would ban the sale and manufacture of semiautomatic rifles that can accommodate detachable magazines, and require those who own such weapons to register them with the state.

In the Assembly, a measure that would require the state Department of Justice to notify local law enforcement when someone buys more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition was approved. The bill would also ban kits that convert magazines to carry more than 10 rounds and would extend a ban on gun ownership for anyone who conveys a serious threat of violence to a licensed psychotherapist.

The bills attempt to respond to mass shootings that have taken place across the U.S., said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), who authored SB 374.

Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) said, “We are criminalizing legal, historic behavior in the state of California and putting onerous burdens and regulations and requirements on law-abiding citizens.”

The legislation approved in the Assembly on Wednesday now goes to the Senate and vice versa.

What’s your take? Will tighter gun-control laws help prevent mass shootings or should other measures be taken to avoid such tragedies? Weigh in below in the comments section or by tweeting @LANow.

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