GOC Opposes AB 1187
AB 1187 is authored by Asssemblymember Celeste Rodriguez and requires anyone purchasing a gun in California to complete an 8-hour class - which includes time spent shooting at a range. Gun Owners of California is strongly opposed to such an outrageous requirement because it will do absolutely nothing to curb crime in the state.
This bill will create a de facto ban on the purchase of firearms and does not address the real issue at hand: the criminal misuse of guns. In 2023, FBI NICS data reports that Californians purchased over 1, 043,400 firearms. If future gun sales even remotely mirror this figure, how will the current number of instructors be able to accommodate literally hundreds of thousands of individuals for the 8-hours of training this bill requires? Given the extraordinary shortage of certified instructors, AB 1187 is tantamount to an actual ban on the ability of lawful, responsible individuals from buying a firearm. Further, there is no consideration of the availability – and accessibility of time at a gun range.
If someone has been the victim of an assault or repeated break-ins and wants to purchase a firearm for self-protection, they should be able to do so without extreme restrictions and delays. This is abundantly important given that the U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that law enforcement officers are under no legal obligation to protect us from harm. What’s more, GOC sincerely doubts that gang members and other such criminals will be first in line to sign up for an 8-hour class on "firearms safety.” This is both unreasonable and short-sighted and highly prejudicial towards the millions of conscientious and reliable gun owners in the Golden State.
GOC Opposes AB 1187
AB 1187 is authored by Asssemblymember Celeste Rodriguez and requires anyone purchasing a gun in California to complete an 8-hour class - which includes time spent shooting at a range. Gun Owners of California is strongly opposed to such an outrageous requirement because it will do absolutely nothing to curb crime in the state.
This bill will create a de facto ban on the purchase of firearms and does not address the real issue at hand: the criminal misuse of guns. In 2023, FBI NICS data reports that Californians purchased over 1, 043,400 firearms. If future gun sales even remotely mirror this figure, how will the current number of instructors be able to accommodate literally hundreds of thousands of individuals for the 8-hours of training this bill requires? Given the extraordinary shortage of certified instructors, AB 1187 is tantamount to an actual ban on the ability of lawful, responsible individuals from buying a firearm. Further, there is no consideration of the availability – and accessibility of time at a gun range.
If someone has been the victim of an assault or repeated break-ins and wants to purchase a firearm for self-protection, they should be able to do so without extreme restrictions and delays. This is abundantly important given that the U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that law enforcement officers are under no legal obligation to protect us from harm. What’s more, GOC sincerely doubts that gang members and other such criminals will be first in line to sign up for an 8-hour class on "firearms safety.” This is both unreasonable and short-sighted and highly prejudicial towards the millions of conscientious and reliable gun owners in the Golden State.