California law shifts $24 million to gun-confiscation program
(CNN) - California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, signed legislation Wednesday that will boost funding for state efforts to confiscate firearms from those prohibited by law from owning them, the governor's office announced.
The bill gives $24 million from the Dealers' Record of Sale fund - fees paid by gun owners at the time of purchase - to the state's Department of Justice to help clear the backlog of individuals who once purchased a gun but are now barred from possessing firearms.
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The state's Bureau of Firearms has identified about 20,000 Californians who illegally hold an estimated 40,000 handguns and assault weapons, with the list growing by 15 to 20 every day.
The money will fund 36 additional agents to increase enforcement of the operation that confiscates such weapons. Cities most targeted in the Armed and Prohibited Persons program include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and Riverside.
California is the only state with the program. People are put on the list if they once bought a firearm and then are convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor, are placed under a domestic violence restraining order or are determined to be mentally unstable.
The new law comes as a few other states have passed new gun laws in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school shooting that left 26 dead in December.
- CNN's Carey Bodenheimer contributed to this report.
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And so it begins....
We never gave Gov. Gray the money he wanted and nobody should be giving you $24 million to confiscate firearms from people who may not be criminals at all on an exploratory mission of "let's see what we can find in someone's house"!
Those numbers are appalling: 20,000 convicted felons, wife-batterers, and other assorted nuts own, on average, 2 guns apiece in my state. While US Senators slurp up cash from NRA lobbyists and ignore the will of the people, Jerry Brown is doing the right thing for his constituents.
Less guns , more prescription meds !
Just kidding ,
California Gov. Jerry Brown is a great Governor .
He never went on a walk about on the Appalachian trail only to end up in Argentina .
California doing what impotent Congress cannot do.
If it gets some illegal guns off the street, I look forward to hearing about a reduction in gun violence after that.
Dems are way overboard on guns and GOP way overboard on abortion. The funny thing about it is that they are both a constitutional right. Get to work on jobs!!!
Yeah but I'm sure big Armando with 3 felony counts and has been to jail 5 times can hold on to his fully auto glock 9mm, why oh because it's not registered of course. Oh no thats racist because we are Liberals. We only want the crooks to have guns and the good guys not too.
And how exactly would this have stopped the shooting?
Ok lets see how ligit this is and what effect if any will it have to the killin ......oh but if we stop the infiticide for 1 year im sure we as humans could feel good then to !!!!!
That's right, get the guns out of the hands of the criminals
Every little bit helps.
This is how the government takes away your guns.
Good for USA.
Start with Oxnard Ventura!
You need to understand that this kind of activity, while appearing to be a good thing on the surface, is part of a slippery slope that only gets steeper. Notice the ambiguous clause "determined to be mentally unstable."
First it's the crazy people, then it's people with DUI's. Then it's ex-military people who have seen a doctor for post-traumatic-stress. Eventually it's for anybody who has received a speeding ticket, or anybody who "needs a crutch" and attends a Christian church.
A government that finds itself in a position of uncontested power has the temptation to become a monster. Remember Lenin, Mao, Hitler, etc. Not all governments do this, but once it happens, an unarmed populace has no way to stop it.
There must be a balance of power between the people and the government. When that balance tips to far in the governments favor, look out. You'll wish you were armed, but then it will be too late to be able to protect yourself.