Though California Gov. Gavin Newsom is doing his best to re-invent himself as a moderate, Democrats in the state Assembly are still embracing their anti-gun extremism by voting down a modest proposal to make it a little more affordable to exercise the right to carry.
AB 1079 would extend the length of time a Concealed Handgun Permit is valid from two years to four years for those permits issued after January 1, 2027 (and three years for permits issued between January 1, 2026 and December 31 of that year). Rep. Letitia Castillo, who authored the measure, says the state's two-year renewal cycle for carry permits "unfairly penalizes law-abiding citizens with greater costs to maintaining an active license and creates extra hassle for responsible gun owners while straining local government resources," pointing to the lengthy delays in processing permits in places like Los Angeles County.
Castillo argued that her bill would fix that problem by making those permits valid for four years, "cutting down on paperwork, saving taxpayer money, and making the process more efficient -- all without lowering safety standards -- bringing CCW licenses in line with other types of important permits in the state, as well as the CCW license policies of nearly every other state across the country.”
The bill was supported by, among others the Orange County Sheriff's Department and San Diego County Sheriff's Department, with no recorded opposition from gun control activists. Still, when AB 1079 was heard in Assembly Public Safety this week, the bill died on a 2-4 vote with three members absent or abstaining.
The committee report on a California bill to extend the duration of carry permits to 4 years notes the stark contrast between fees and wait times in the state compared to the rest of the country, says that permit holders "rarely are found responsible for violent crime," and says… pic.twitter.com/4wZamhmsnR
— Firearms Policy Coalition (@gunpolicy) April 4, 2025
In a bizarre twist, however, AB 1079 is back on the committee's calendar, and scheduled to be heard once more on April 8, so there may still be a chance to move the bill forward.
This bill failed to pass the public safety committee on Tuesday with a 2-4 vote (with 3 not voting), but for whatever reason, it was just scheduled to be heard again on 4/8 https://t.co/fQlUY7oU6V pic.twitter.com/U9hPpV9qRH
— Rob Romano (@2Aupdates) April 4, 2025
Let's be clear here. AB 1079 won't change who can get a carry permit or the laborious process of obtaining one. The only change that it would make would be making those permits a little more cost effective by extending their validity from two to four years, which will also help reduce the lengthy backlogs in processing permits that have resulted in lawsuits like California Rifle & Pistol Association v. Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
The only reason to vote against this bill is to give a giant middle finger to California gun owners who dare to exercise their right to bear arms.
Making permits valid for 4 years instead of just 2 would be a huge help to reduce wait times and spread out expenses.
— Kostas Moros (@MorosKostas) April 4, 2025
Unfortunately, one bill to do just that died in committee yesterday. Our legislature embraces Jim Crow-inspired tactics againat the Second Amendment. https://t.co/LbaaO0t6sx
That's true enough, but the actions of legislators in Sacramento also tie-in with the anti-2A hostility from local lawmakers in places like Santa Clara County or the city of La Verne, where the initial cost of obtaining a carry permit is more than $1,000 in fees.
In La Verne, located in Los Angeles County, applicants hoping to receive a Concealed Handgun Permit for the first time will pay $1,081 (not including the cost of training) for the privilege of exercising their Second Amendment rights, and an additional $647 every two years after that. Making that $647 payment due every four years instead of every two wouldn't address every issue inherent in California's licensing scheme, but it would certainly allow more residents to be able to afford to bear arms in self-defense.
Instead, as Moros suggests, the Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee who voted down AB 1079 simply want to make it as hard as possible for as many people as possible to exercise a fundamental right of we the people. And let's not forget that the harm of these policies falls on the working class and those living paycheck to paycheck. The wealthy denizens of Los Angeles and San Francisco won't feel any pinch at all after paying $1,000 or more to get a carry permit, but some Californians are simply going to be priced out of exercising their right to bear arms... and that's exactly what the anti-gunners are hoping for.
