In case you missed it, businessman Barry Bahrami (Chief Executive of Commercial Network Services in San Diego) has filed referendums with Secretary of State Alex Padilla to repeal six gun bills recently signed by Governor Brown. Referendum requirements are as follows:
- There is a 90-day window for submission of 365,000 signatures, which are required on each of the six referendum petitions.
- Deadline for submission of signatures is Sept 29, 2016.
- Should the requisite number of qualified signatures be submitted, the measure(s) will not appear on 2016 ballot, but on the next statewide election ballot.
- Should the requisite number of qualified signatures be submitted, the laws in question would be suspended from taking effect until the next general election (or special election if the governor decides to call one).
- In order to qualify for a “random” check of signatures rather than a “full check” (where each name is individually verified), a significantly greater number of names must be submitted for authentication.
- The referendum(s) are seeking the repeal of AB 1135 (bullet button ban), AB 1511 (bans lending of guns) AB 1695 (false reports of stolen firearms), SB 880 (bullet button ban), SB 1235 (ammo registration), SB 1446 (bans magazines holding more than ten rounds).
- The petitions will primarily be circulated through gun dealers; more information to follow.
The California Constitution deliberately makes it very difficult for the people to overturn an act of the Legislature by placing strict time limitations on the collection of signatures. That being said, although a high bar has been set in place, this should not prevent us from taking advantage of the opportunities the process provides when we so vehemently disagree with legislative actions. What’s more, we should make use of every chance to register to vote – and to insure that friends and family are registered as well. A signature on any initiative or referendum is not valid unless one is a registered voter.
If every gun owner in the state of California understood the power and the importance of their individual vote, the battle we are facing would be far less formidable.