In December, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the legislature to pass a bill modeled after the Texas abortion bill that would allow citizens of the state to sue makers and sellers of assault weapons, .50 BMG rifles, and other firearms.
“I have directed my staff to work with the Legislature and the Attorney General on a bill that would create a right of action allowing private citizens to seek injunctive relief, and statutory damages of at least $10,000 per violation plus costs and attorney’s fees, against anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kit or parts in the State of California. If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that,” said Newsom’s statement after the Supreme Court upheld the Texas heartbeat law.
Texas better duck before the next spitball comes their way. Indeed, how infantile is this? “They did it, so why not us?” is ludicrous reasoning for passing legislation.
No one has ever accused Democrats in California of acting reasonably.
“If Texas can use a law to ban a woman’s right to choose and put her health at risk, we will use that same law to save lives and improve the health and safety of the people in the state of California,” Newsom said at a press conference where he, alongside Attorney General Rob Bonta and lawmakers, rolled out a slate of gun control legislation.
The governor also dared the Supreme Court to strike it down since the justices in December upheld the Texas law.
“There is no principled way the U.S. Supreme Court can’t uphold this law,” Newsom said. “It is quite literally modeled after the law they just upheld in Texas.”
Principle be damned; what does the Constitution say about it? In fact, there is no explicit “right” to abortion in the Constitution. It’s an “implied” right of privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment.
The California statute, on the other hand, would violate the Second Amendment six ways from Sunday. The Supreme Court wouldn’t have to stand on “principle.” It would be very comfortable standing on the law.
Friday’s announcement brings to fruition Newsom’s vow to emulate the Texas law after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld it in December.It also sets up a legal test of the logic underlying the high court’s decision.
The governor has said California is merely playing by rules the Supreme Court set. But he has also hinted at his desire to force a legal reckoning, meaning the law’s impact could reverberate nationally.
Most Second Amendment advocates are probably telling Newsom to “Bring it on.”
Newsom and California Democrats think they’re being oh so clever in turning the tables on Texas conservatives. Instead, they’re only proving how childish and ill-tempered they are.
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