Guns: State Issue for 2001

After years of kid-glove treatment by state law enforcement officials, the new year should bring a new, harder-line attitude toward owners of unregistered assault guns and renewed action in Sacramento to control gun violence, starting with a clear signal of support from Gov. Gray Davis.

With George W. Bush in the White House, the prospects for new federal gun curbs are bleak, despite the need for comprehensive, nationwide controls. The Republican-led Congress killed efforts in past years to require trigger locks on handguns, bar the importation of high-capacity ammunition clips and close a loophole that allows gun-show buyers to skirt background checks. Now President-elect Bush, with a gun-friendly record as Texas governor, is likely to stonewall or veto any progress in this direction. Comprehensive federal legislation offers the best chance of cutting street crime and ending school shootings and workplace massacres like one that occurred at a Boston-area Internet firm last month. The absence of federal action puts more pressure than ever on state officials to act.

Tough enforcement of California’s assault weapon bans, two of several gun laws that put this state ahead of the national curve, is a good place to start. Dec. 31 was the last day owners of assault guns could register their firearms under state law. Failure to register a gun with certain features could subject the owner to a $500 fine and/or up to three years in prison.

After a slow start, there is good reason to believe that assault gun owners now take the 1989 and 1999 measures seriously. More than 10,000 were registered last year, some 6,500 of them since mid-November alone. Much credit goes to Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer, who, unlike his predecessor, Dan Lungren, has talked tough to the gun lobby about compliance. Lockyer and district attorneys across the state now need to follow through by prosecuting violators to the full extent of the law.

California already requires that most new guns be sold with approved child safety locks, outlaws the sale of junk handguns and limits handgun buyers to one purchase per month. The next logical step in reducing gun accidents and cutting violence is licensing. It’s a step the state should take without hesitation.

Sen. Jack Scott (D-Altadena), who has a strong record on gun control, recently introduced a prudent measure that would require all prospective handgun owners to first demonstrate that they can safely handle and store the weapons. His SB 52 may not be heard until March. In the meantime, Gov. Davis should speak up on the issue. Last year, the governor called a moratorium on new gun laws to give law enforcement officials a chance to digest the gun limits passed in 1999. Now it’s time for him to stand up and be counted again on this issue. The Legislature should then follow.