\n<\/p>\n
Make no mistake: California\u2019s politicians are rabidly anti-Second Amendment. They will attempt any and every gun control policy on law-abiding Americans\u00a0no matter how absurd<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0unconstitutional<\/a>. California\u2019s Gov. Gavin Newsom set the stages for a national political run at some point by launching a dead-end effort to adopt a new Constitutional Amendment to do away with the pre-existing common law rights enshrined within the Second one.<\/p>\n Now, despite the tidal wave of gun control laws coming every year from the\u00a0<\/strong>supermajorities in Sacramento<\/a>, California Attorney General Rob Bonta wants to nickel-and-dime the Californians who do follow the laws even more to suppress even further their ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights.<\/p>\n Under a newly-announced policy and as TTAG recently covered, AG Bonta is increasing the fee charged<\/a> to law-abiding Californians who follow all the laws to purchase ammunition, including undergoing a background check, from one dollar to five dollars. Sure, he says there\u2019s an open public comment period for his office to receive feedback, but we all know the writing\u2019s on the wall.<\/p>\n Fortunately, in January of this year, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Benitez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California struck down<\/a> the gun control law in California that required law-abiding gun owners to\u00a0submit to a background check verification and pay a $1 fee<\/a>\u00a0every time they wanted to purchase ammunition.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ammunition background checks laws have no historical pedigree and operate in such a way that they violate the Second Amendment right of citizens to keep and bear arms,\u201d Judge Benitez\u00a0wrote<\/a>\u00a0in his decision in\u00a0Rhode v. Bonta<\/em>.<\/p>\n It was welcome news. For recreational target shooters who want to spend time practicing at the range, or young shooters participating in the highly popular youth shooting leagues or just regular hunters who enjoy heading to the fields and woods to get out and enjoy America\u2019s greatest outdoor pastime, that additional cost can add up quickly.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit followed up\u00a0shortly after<\/a>\u00a0and granted a stay on the permanent injunction issued by Judge Benitez, meaning all ammunition purchases in California were again required to be performed with background checks administered by California\u2019s Department of Justice (CalDOJ) and all ammunition must be obtained solely through a government-licensed firearm and\/or ammunition retailer.<\/p>\n AG Bonta celebrated the ruling, saying it meant California\u2019s \u201clife-saving ammunition laws will remain in effect as we continue to defend them in court.\u201d There is no data that demonstrates charging law-abiding Californians a fee to run a background check on the purchase of ammunition has saved lives.<\/p>\n With the ammunition background check and fee scheme remaining in place even as\u00a0Rhode v. Bonta<\/em>\u00a0works through the courts<\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0AG Bonta hasn\u2019t had his fill and isn\u2019t letting his foot off the gun control gas pedal.<\/p>\n In an announcement posted on the CalDOJ\u2019s website on Aug. 23, AG Bonta proposed jacking up the ammunition check fee cost from one dollar to five dollars \u2013 a 400 percent increase that all law-abiding Californians will bear each and every time they want to buy ammunition.<\/p>\n \u201cAs authorized by Penal Code section 30370, subdivision (e), the Department\u2019s current regulations established a $1.00 fee for a Standard Ammunition Eligibility Check (SAEC) and $1.00 fee for a COE Verification check. This fee has not been sufficient to cover the Department\u2019s operating costs for the ammunition authorization program,\u201d CalDOJ website\u00a0states<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe proposed regulation raises the fee for a SAEC and COE Verification check from $1.00 to $5.00.\u201d<\/p>\n AG Bonta is holding a 45-day public comment period that ends on Oct. 8, 2024. This is obviously political theater. If you believe AG Bonta will actually take into consideration any comments from law-abiding Californians who oppose this blatant nickel-and-diming of their Second Amendment rights, well then I have a Golden Gate bridge to sell you. All of this while he\u00a0<\/strong>does nothing to prosecute and get tough on the criminals<\/a>\u00a0who actually perpetuate criminal gun violence.<\/p>\n All the myriad of gun control laws in California are already on the books and those still being pursued by Gov. Newsom and AG Bonta haven\u2019t \u2013 and won\u2019t \u2013 decrease crime in the Golden State. And they aren\u2019t stopping law-abiding Californians from purchasing firearms, either. According to current NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminals Background Check System (NICS) data, more than 650,000 Californians bought a gun in 2024 alone. Industry estimates reveal that could include as many as 190,000 first-time buyers who have had enough and decided to take responsibility for their personal safety.<\/p>\n August of 2024, marked the\u00a061st<\/sup>\u00a0month in a row\u00a0that more than 1 million background checks have been processed for the purchase of a firearm nationally and more than\u00a022 million<\/a>\u00a0Americans have become first-time gun owners since 2020. That\u2019s about the same as the population of Florida.<\/p>\n Even with the nickel-and-dime gun control coming from the likes of AG Bonta, Americans are exercising their God-given rights to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes, including self-defense. If they\u00a0register to vote<\/a>\u00a0and get to the polls and\u00a0#<\/a>GUNVOTE<\/a>\u00a0on Nov. 5, gun owners will make a difference in the election, even possibly in California.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nThe Background<\/h2>\n
400% Fee Hike<\/h2>\n
Not Stopping the Fence-Jumpers<\/h2>\n
![<\/a><\/div>\nMake no mistake: California\u2019s politicians are rabidly anti-Second Amendment. They will attempt any and every gun control policy on law-abiding Americans\u00a0no matter how absurd<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0unconstitutional<\/a>. California\u2019s Gov. Gavin Newsom set the stages for a national political run at some point by launching a dead-end effort to adopt a new Constitutional Amendment to do away with the pre-existing common law rights enshrined within the Second one.<\/p>\nNow, despite the tidal wave of gun control laws coming every year from the\u00a0<\/strong>supermajorities in Sacramento<\/a>, California Attorney General Rob Bonta wants to nickel-and-dime the Californians who do follow the laws even more to suppress even further their ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights.<\/p>\nUnder a newly-announced policy and as TTAG recently covered, AG Bonta is increasing the fee charged<\/a> to law-abiding Californians who follow all the laws to purchase ammunition, including undergoing a background check, from one dollar to five dollars. Sure, he says there\u2019s an open public comment period for his office to receive feedback, but we all know the writing\u2019s on the wall.<\/p>\nThe Background<\/h2>\nFortunately, in January of this year, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Benitez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California struck down<\/a> the gun control law in California that required law-abiding gun owners to\u00a0submit to a background check verification and pay a $1 fee<\/a>\u00a0every time they wanted to purchase ammunition.<\/p>\n\u201cThe ammunition background checks laws have no historical pedigree and operate in such a way that they violate the Second Amendment right of citizens to keep and bear arms,\u201d Judge Benitez\u00a0wrote<\/a>\u00a0in his decision in\u00a0Rhode v. Bonta<\/em>.<\/p>\nIt was welcome news. For recreational target shooters who want to spend time practicing at the range, or young shooters participating in the highly popular youth shooting leagues or just regular hunters who enjoy heading to the fields and woods to get out and enjoy America\u2019s greatest outdoor pastime, that additional cost can add up quickly.<\/p>\nUnfortunately, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit followed up\u00a0shortly after<\/a>\u00a0and granted a stay on the permanent injunction issued by Judge Benitez, meaning all ammunition purchases in California were again required to be performed with background checks administered by California\u2019s Department of Justice (CalDOJ) and all ammunition must be obtained solely through a government-licensed firearm and\/or ammunition retailer.<\/p>\nAG Bonta celebrated the ruling, saying it meant California\u2019s \u201clife-saving ammunition laws will remain in effect as we continue to defend them in court.\u201d There is no data that demonstrates charging law-abiding Californians a fee to run a background check on the purchase of ammunition has saved lives.<\/p>\n400% Fee Hike<\/h2>\nWith the ammunition background check and fee scheme remaining in place even as\u00a0Rhode v. Bonta<\/em>\u00a0works through the courts<\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0AG Bonta hasn\u2019t had his fill and isn\u2019t letting his foot off the gun control gas pedal.<\/p>\nIn an announcement posted on the CalDOJ\u2019s website on Aug. 23, AG Bonta proposed jacking up the ammunition check fee cost from one dollar to five dollars \u2013 a 400 percent increase that all law-abiding Californians will bear each and every time they want to buy ammunition.<\/p>\n\u201cAs authorized by Penal Code section 30370, subdivision (e), the Department\u2019s current regulations established a $1.00 fee for a Standard Ammunition Eligibility Check (SAEC) and $1.00 fee for a COE Verification check. This fee has not been sufficient to cover the Department\u2019s operating costs for the ammunition authorization program,\u201d CalDOJ website\u00a0states<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe proposed regulation raises the fee for a SAEC and COE Verification check from $1.00 to $5.00.\u201d<\/p>\nAG Bonta is holding a 45-day public comment period that ends on Oct. 8, 2024. This is obviously political theater. If you believe AG Bonta will actually take into consideration any comments from law-abiding Californians who oppose this blatant nickel-and-diming of their Second Amendment rights, well then I have a Golden Gate bridge to sell you. All of this while he\u00a0<\/strong>does nothing to prosecute and get tough on the criminals<\/a>\u00a0who actually perpetuate criminal gun violence.<\/p>\nNot Stopping the Fence-Jumpers<\/h2>\nAll the myriad of gun control laws in California are already on the books and those still being pursued by Gov. Newsom and AG Bonta haven\u2019t \u2013 and won\u2019t \u2013 decrease crime in the Golden State. And they aren\u2019t stopping law-abiding Californians from purchasing firearms, either. According to current NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminals Background Check System (NICS) data, more than 650,000 Californians bought a gun in 2024 alone. Industry estimates reveal that could include as many as 190,000 first-time buyers who have had enough and decided to take responsibility for their personal safety.<\/p>\nAugust of 2024, marked the\u00a061st<\/sup>\u00a0month in a row\u00a0that more than 1 million background checks have been processed for the purchase of a firearm nationally and more than\u00a022 million<\/a>\u00a0Americans have become first-time gun owners since 2020. That\u2019s about the same as the population of Florida.<\/p>\nEven with the nickel-and-dime gun control coming from the likes of AG Bonta, Americans are exercising their God-given rights to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes, including self-defense. If they\u00a0register to vote<\/a>\u00a0and get to the polls and\u00a0#<\/a>GUNVOTE<\/a>\u00a0on Nov. 5, gun owners will make a difference in the election, even possibly in California.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\nSource link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Make no mistake: California\u2019s politicians are rabidly anti-Second Amendment. They will attempt any and every gun control policy on law-abiding Americans\u00a0no matter how absurd\u00a0or\u00a0unconstitutional. California\u2019s Gov. Gavin Newsom set the stages for a national political run at some point by launching a dead-end effort to adopt a new Constitutional Amendment to do away with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3935","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Money-Changing-Hands_Shutterstock.jpeg\"){kind=link}