The State : Governor: Life for AK-47 Use

Gov. George Deukmejian said he supports a proposal for mandatory life sentences for people convicted of assaults with semiautomatic rifles like the AK-47 used in last month’s Stockton schoolyard massacre. The governor, long an opponent of gun control, has said recently that he is not opposed to banning the sale of such weapons. In his weekly radio address, the governor said he supports numerous recommendations by the task force he has convened on gangs and drugs. “The increase in gang-related violence in Los Angeles and other California communities demonstrates the urgent need to implement a plan of action against these urban terrorists,” he said. Last year, citing cost, Deukmejian vetoed several bills aimed at curbing gang warfare.