Panel Votes Compromise on Assault Weapons Ban

A Senate-Assembly conference committee Monday ratified a compromise with Gov. George Deukmejian on legislation to outlaw military-style assault weapons, clearing the way for expected final approval of the bill by the Legislature on Thursday.

All five Democratic members of the committee voted for the compromise. The only Republican member, Sen. Edward R. Royce of Anaheim, cast the only dissent as the conference report was sent to each house.

The panel, clearly weighted in favor of legislators who oppose assault firearms, heard about an hour of testimony from witnesses on both sides before approving the compromise, which Deukmejian had insisted upon as his price for signing the proposed ban into law.

List of 60 Weapons

Essentially, the legislation by Assemblyman Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles) and Senate leader David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) would make it against the law on Jan. 1 to manufacture, sell, import, lend, advertise, give or distribute about 60 firearms classified as assault weapons.

Owners of such guns that were legally obtained before June 1 could keep them by registering them with the state Department of Justice.

However, if the owner of a legally acquired assault weapon failed to properly register it, he or she could be subject to a fine of $350 to $500 on the first offense. Others in possession of such an illegal arm could be charged with either a misdemeanor or felony.

Deukmejian said subjecting an otherwise law-abiding assault gun owner to a possible felony charge would be too harsh if the owner merely neglected or refused to register the weapon.

The second major provision of the compromise is aimed at ridding from the marketplace facsimile assault arms that are so close to being the real thing that they constitute an assault weapon. It would be up to the state attorney general to persuade a Superior Court judge that such was the case before the facsimile could be added to the list of banned guns.

The Senate is expected to adopt the compromise easily, but the vote is certain to be much tighter in the Assembly, which previously approved assault gun legislation without a vote to spare. Roos said he is “confident” he can keep all his favorable votes in line, but Republican Assemblyman Richard Mountjoy of Monrovia said efforts are under way to peel away at least one of the two GOP members who support the ban.