One Gun a Month: a Lifesaver

Second Amendment zealots insist that gun control laws deny weapons to law-abiding citizens, not criminals. But there is dramatic new evidence to counter that claim. And a major gun control bill that won final passage Thursday in the Legislature could become one of the state’s most effective weapons in stopping the flow of handguns to criminals and underage buyers. The measure deserves quick and emphatic approval by Gov. Gray Davis.

Assembly Bill 202 by Assemblyman Wally Knox (D-Los Angeles), limits sales of concealable handguns to one per person per month. It passed the Senate 21 to 14, the bare majority required, after clearing the Assembly 42 to 30, with one vote to spare. The dramatic Assembly vote came just two days after the Columbine High School tragedy last April. The bill is similar to an existing Los Angeles city ordinance and legislation on the books in Virginia and other states.

Gun control foes argued that the bill would not keep guns from going to criminals and would especially penalize gun collectors. The Knox bill exempts licensed collectors and legal private party transactions.

What’s compelling is the evidence that guns used to commit crimes move quickly onto the street through mass sales by a limited number of dealers to unlicensed freelance gun brokers. A study conducted for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms found that of guns used in crimes nationwide during 1996 and 1997, half that could be traced came from just 389 dealers. And the state Department of Justice says that 41,000 of about 183,000 handguns sold in California last year were sold to persons who bought more than one gun at a time.

Anti-gun control forces also argued that the one-gun-a-month provision was pointless because of existing law providing background checks for anyone buying a gun. That, however, does not keep someone without a criminal record from buying multiple weapons and then peddling them on the street. In fact, three of the four guns used at Columbine were purchased by a third party.

Luis Tolley of Handgun Control Inc. is correct in saying, “This is one of the strongest measures in the country to shut down the flow of handguns to the black market where criminals and kids can get them.” After all, who needs to buy more than 12 guns a year?

The governor’s office says Davis has not decided whether he’ll sign the bill, although he has declared his commitment to controlling junk guns and making California streets safer. He is expected to receive the bill today and then will have 12 days to act on it. This should not be a difficult decision. The Knox bill will save lives, with little or no inconvenience to legitimate gun buyers.