The state of California has no respect for the people’s right to keep and bear arms. We know that without any doubts or hesitation. We know it because we’ve seen the evidence, clear as day.

The latest example is a number of gun control laws all signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a man who is pushing for a constitutional convention just to pass gun control.

As soon as these measures were signed, though, the fight against them commenced, and GOA issued a press release on Wednesday about how they were joining the fight.

Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) teamed up with Gun Owners of California (GOC) to promptly serve California AG Rob Bonta in a lawsuit challenging portions of SB 2, a bill that anti-gun Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law yesterday. This unconstitutional legislation was passed in response to the Bruen decision (which ended the state’s draconian “may-issue” policy), and among other provisions would:

• Enact highly restrictive “sensitive locations” where concealed carrying would be prohibited, including all private property unless expressly permitted by the owner;
• Require 16 hours of training;
• And significantly increase the costs associated with securing a permit.

This suit specifically goes after the “sensitive locations” provision of the law.

Several other anti-gun states have enacted similar unconstitutional legislation in response to the Bruen decision, and GOA and GOF are a part of litigation in several of these cases.

Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President, issued the following statement:           

“This is just the latest assault on our rights in California. Just as concerning, Governor Gavin Newsom has already made his anti-gun intentions quite clear: he wants to effectively repeal the Second Amendment. Sadly, his acknowledgment that doing so would be the only way to enact more gun control did not dissuade him from violating his oath when he signed this law into effect, but we are fully prepared to fight back.”

Sam Paredes, on behalf of the board for GOF and in his role as the Executive Director of Gun Owners of California, added:   

“Pro-gun groups in California have had success when pushing back on legislation like this – just look at our victory last week against the state’s magazine ban. And just like in that case, we are confident SB 2 will be overturned. I’ve been warning governors and legislatures across the country since the Bruen decision that these “response bills” will not stand, but unfortunately, many have still been pushed through. That won’t stop us however – states should fall in line, or we will make them.”    

Honestly, it’s kind of exhausting writing about all the lawsuits against gun control measures, but the truth of the matter is that it’s needed. Groups like GOA and the Second Amendment Foundation do a lot of good work simply by opposing the laws that are there.

In states like California, you’re not going to convince anti-gun legislators not to pass anti-gun laws. It’s not going to happen. They’re not interested in listening to GOA or any other pro-gun voice.

So, we have to force them to listen.

That means we need to take them to court, and that’s what’s happening here. We need deep pockets so we can fight taxpayer-funded efforts to curb the rights of those same taxpayers. Few individuals have the means to put up a challenge. It’s only when we band together collectively do we have a hope, which is what gun rights groups ultimately do.

Let’s be honest, most of our wins on the West Coast have been in the courts. It’s about the only place we’re going to win as things currently stand. I’m glad to see GOA stepping up and fighting there just as they fight pretty much everywhere else.