AB 3064 (Maienschein) – Request For Veto

September 3, 2024 –

Dear Governor Newsom:

I am writing to request your veto of AB 3064 which authorizes the Department of Justice to charge an annual fee on those manufacturers who sell any firearm device listed on the Department’s safety roster.

Unfortunately, this bill won’t do anything to lessen the criminal use of firearms nor will it increase the overall safety of the public.  What it will do is force business entities to pay a fee to the state for the simple purpose of having a firearm safety device on the market in California.  Further – and more importantly – the bill will place lawful, responsible gun owners in a precarious position of falling outside of the law should one of these devices no longer be on the certified list.  What’s more, the gun owner could actually be charged for not being in compliance; the most recent amendments also permit the state to recoup the costs of storing and approving the devices as well – which will simply be added to the expense for the consumer.

And finally – the Supreme Court has ruled that mandatory storage of firearms is a violation of the Constitution.  The 2008 Heller v. Washington DC decision by the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) made several things abundantly clear:  the 2nd Amendment is an individual right (as opposed to a collective right).  The primary element of the Heller ruling was that the federal government could not require that firearms be stored and locked in a manner where the gun was not immediately accessible.

This is yet another wrong-headed and futile approach to solving the problem of firearm misuse. Our organization has a 40-year history of fighting for effective crime control and opposing ineffective gun control.  The safety of Californians is at the very foundation of our mission, and it has been our consistent goal to work toward common sense solutions regarding the issue of crime and firearm ownership; this can be done, however, without sacrificing our Constitutional rights and the ability of the law abiding to protect their families.  I therefore respectfully request your veto of AB 3064.

Sincerely,

Sam Paredes, Executive Director