Top Story
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez, who has a history of ruling against gun regulations, struck down a California law that required background checks for most ammunition purchases and barred residents from bringing home out-of-state ammunition purchases. Benitez previously ruled against the law in 2020, before the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, but a higher court quickly reinstated it while the challenge played out. [San Diego Union-Tribune]
Law
Litigation against gunmakers is often ill-fated, thanks to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a 2005 federal law that protects gunmakers from being held liable for crimes committed with their products. But late last month, a federal appeals court revived a lawsuit brought by the government of Mexico accusing America’s largest gunmakers of aiding and abetting the trafficking of weapons across the southern border.
The January decision shows that Mexico’s case differs from earlier lawsuits in two important respects: the violations that the country has accused gunmakers of committing, and the overwhelming amount of evidence it has to support its allegations. And the gun industry’s liability protections carve out an important exception, permitting suits that allege gunmakers violated state or federal laws related to the marketing or sale of firearms. The Trace’s Champe Barton has the story.
What to Know Today
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he supports ending a program that places uniformed police officers in dozens of the city’s public schools. There have been several shootings near Chicago campuses in recent weeks, fueling calls to bring violence prevention workers into schools. [WBEZ]
After two weeks of debate, the South Carolina Senate passed a bill that would allow anyone who can legally own a gun to carry their weapon in public and remove a requirement that applicants for concealed weapons permits must complete a gun safety class. The approval came after lawmakers, facing opposition from police officials, reached a compromise to provide free firearm training classes. The Senate legislation retains prohibitions on gun carrying in a number of places, including hospitals and daycare facilities. [Associated Press/South Carolina Public Radio]
The Georgia Senate is scheduled to vote tomorrow on a bill that would create an annual sales tax holiday for firearms, ammunition, gun safes, and related accessories. In comparison, the state does not have such a break for purchases of school supplies. [The Current]
Teenagers in Austin, Texas, are developing an after-market firearm accessory and application, dubbed SafeZone, that would enable gun owners to track and remotely disable lost or stolen weapons. “Instead of just giving a serial number to the police,” said one SafeZone founder, “you can actually take action and give them a location.” [KXAN]
Data from the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau shows that — as the city enters its 10th year under Justice Department scrutiny over problematic policing — a small set of officers consistently use force at higher rates than their peers. Some experts say the data indicates that Portland is missing opportunities to intervene before an officer’s force turns deadly. [OPB]
Data Point
$400 million — the amount of money a group of Chicago community violence intervention groups plan to raise for an ambitious effort to reduce shootings in the city by 50 percent in five years. [Chicago Sun-Times]
