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Key parts of another California gun law were ruled unconstitutional this week: U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney, appointed by President George W. Bush, said the state’s mandate that newly sold handguns include safety equipment and microstamping capability is inconsistent with the Second Amendment because “no handgun available in the world” has all the required features. Handguns that were produced before the restrictions took effect were grandfathered in, so Californians were still able to purchase older models.
The invalidated safety regulations were first enacted in 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle reports, and required handguns to have devices that indicate whether they’re loaded and mechanisms to prevent a gun being discharged if a magazine isn’t fully inserted. The provision for microstamping — a process that imprints a unique identifier on bullet casings when they fire, theoretically allowing law enforcement to identify the firearm used in a shooting — was introduced in 2013.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is appealing the ruling, and said the judge agreed to delay an injunction blocking the law’s enforcement for two weeks.
What to Know Today
One of the guns used in the deadly kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico this month was purchased in the U.S. and knowingly provided to the Gulf Cartel, according to a federal criminal complaint. [The Monitor] Context: There is just one gun store in all of Mexico, and it’s behind fortified walls on a military base.
Both remaining candidates for Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas, have backgrounds in education. At a recent forum, the contenders got heated over the link between schools and public safety, with Vallas alleging that Johnson and his “brethren” forced school closures that then prompted a rise in homicides. [Chicago Sun-Times/Natasha Korecki via Twitter]
In the summer of 2020, the FBI enlisted April Rogers, an undercover police officer with pink hair, to infiltrate and spy on Colorado Springs racial justice groups — and try to entrap activists into a gun-running conspiracy. Around the same time period, the agency dropped an investigation into the man who would carry out the mass shooting at Club Q. [The Intercept]
Miami Beach is again struggling with spring break violence. There have already been two fatal shootings, and police confiscated more than 70 guns between February 27 and March 19. [Associated Press]
As Oakland, California, continues to face high levels of gun violence, its new progressive district attorney is pushing for less-strict prosecutorial practices. How will she fare in a state that has historically favored “tough on crime” policies? [The Washington Post]
Two months after the mass shooting in Monterey Park, Asian American organizers, firearm owners, and firearm safety advocates are reckoning with the increase in gun violence and gun ownership in their community. [The Guardian]
House Republicans want to slash the budget for federal social and public safety programs, according to letters from agency heads released Monday — and if the proposed cuts go through, the ATF could face a hiring freeze. [Roll Call]
Former President Donald Trump called on supporters to “PROTEST!!!” a possible indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which could be handed down as soon as today. If supporters show up armed, it could be the first real test of New York’s concealed carry law. [THE CITY]
Data Point
Two-thirds — the proportion of Asian American respondents to a 2021 California survey who said they were worried about gun violence, the highest of all racial groups. [The Guardian]
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