Bid to Recall Entire City Council Dropped
Gun enthusiasts have dropped their effort to recall the entire Whittier City Council, which banned assault weapons, and have decided to focus their attention instead on ousting state lawmakers as they come up for reelection.
In May, the Legislature passed a landmark bill making California the first state to ban military-style assault weapons. The law becomes effective in January and will supersede the Whittier ordinance.
“We decided not to waste time and energy on the small-fry City Council types,” said Paul Schwemler, spokesman for the Whittier Voters Coalition, which includes members of the National Rifle Assn. “We said, ‘Let’s go after the big guys.’ ”
A recall election would have cost Whittier taxpayers $35,000.
Schwemler said his group’s efforts will be part of a statewide campaign by California gun enthusiasts to remove legislators who support gun control.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
