The California legislature passed a minimum age increase for long gun purchases Wednesday, sending the measure to Gov. Jerry Brown (D) for signature.
The age increase was sponsored by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge).
The Los Angeles Times reports that Portantino said, “The two most deadly recent school tragedies have been perpetrated by people under 21 with long guns.” He did not mention that one of those two school tragedies was the May 18, 2018, Sante Fe High School shooting, wherein the 17-year-old gunman used someone else’s guns, thereby going around any age restriction that might be in place.
Other supporters of the bill pointed to the December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School attack to make their case. They did not mention that the 20-year-old Sandy Hook attacker stole his firearms, thereby circumventing any age restrictions that might have been in place.
Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) argued against the bill based on factors, particularly what he saw as the arbitrariness of selecting 21 as the magic age for gun purchases. Nielsen asked, “What is magic about 21? All of a sudden you are not a danger anymore?” he asked. “I believe that yet again bills like this miss the target.”
The Jurist reports that the increased minimum age passed the California Senate by a vote of 26-12 Wednesday, and now sits on Gov. Brown’s desk.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
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