In summary
The Las Vegas mass shooting that left 58 dead and hundreds wounded has renewed attention on federal legislation supported by the Trump administration that could undermine California’s strict gun control laws.
The Las Vegas mass shooting that left 58 dead and hundreds wounded has renewed attention on proposed federal legislation supported by the Trump administration that could undermine California’s strict gun control laws.
A National Rifle Association statement issued yesterday in response to the attack urged federal gun regulators to review the legality of “bump fire” stocks, accessory equipment that may have enabled the Las Vegas gunman to transform semiautomatic weapons into a machine gun-like firearm. Bump fire stocks are illegal under California law, although there is some ambiguity around the prohibition.
“In an increasingly dangerous world, the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans’ Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities,” the statement reads. “To that end…we urge Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence.”
But while widely received as a surprising concession by the NRA, the statement also reaffirmed the organization’s support for national concealed carry reciprocity legislation. Two such bills in Congress would treat a permit to carry hidden firearms in a public place much like a driver’s license: A permit in one state would have to be honored in another, regardless of how much easier it is to get a permit in a state like Utah than a state like California.
California legislators have called on Congress to nix the concealed-carry reciprocity bills. A poll conducted in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting found that only 9 percent of Californians believed that if the Las Vegas crowd had been armed, it would have made the situation better.