California's New Gun Laws: No More 'Bullet Buttons'

Governor signs 6 new bills, rejects 5 others
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 2, 2016 8:59 AM CDT
Cailfornia's New Gun Laws: No More 'Bullet Buttons'
File photo of military-style semiautomatic weapons at Los Angeles police headquarters.   (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed six gun-control measures into law on Friday that add new restrictions on semiautomatic weapons and ammunition, and strengthen background checks. Some related coverage:

  • KPCC provides a quick look at the six bills that were signed and the five that were not here.
  • One of the higher-profile measures outlaws the use of "bullet buttons," which allowed gun owners to easily replace a firearm's default magazine with a high-capacity one. The AP explains.
  • Another big one outlaws magazine clips that hold more than 10 rounds, notes the San Francisco Chronicle.

  • The NRA's reaction: “This makes California the most anti-gun state in America,” says spokeswoman Amy Hunter. See the group's assessment of the "draconian" package here.
  • A writer at Quartz, meanwhile, makes the case that "piecemeal" reforms aren't enough—it's time to consider changing the Second Amendment. Read it here.
  • The new laws "are the latest example of how this state, where the Legislature is under Democratic control, has been able to enact a legislative agenda on issues that have deadlocked Congress," reports the New York Times.
  • The Los Angeles Times has this intriguing line: "At a time when mass shootings are occurring with escalating frequency, it appears Brown’s pragmatic side and his Jesuit training has made him more open to efforts to control firearms, according to Jaime Regalado, a professor emeritus of political science at Cal State L.A."
  • The Wall Street Journal looks at how the state already made it easier to seize guns.
(More gun laws stories.)

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