Monday, July 8, 2013

Senator Gaines votes against gun bills

ANTI–GUN BILLS MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH LEGISLATURE

This year I co–authored a resolution commemorating the 5–year anniversary of the United States Supreme Court decision in the case “District of Columbia v. Heller.” The Heller decision was a landmark victory for gun owners and for anyone who supports the 2nd Amendment, as the Court determined that the right to keep and bear arms was unconnected to any militia service and was fully vested in individuals.

That decision is more important than ever right now as a host of bills aimed at taking away gun rights are making their way through the legislature. Below are a few examples:

SB 374 (Steinberg, D): requires all handguns to be registered with the Department of Justice, regardless of when those guns were acquired. It also makes changes to the definition of “assault rifle” and makes it so broad that it would include roughly 95–percent of all rifles, according to the National Rifle Association.

SB 396 (Hancock, D): bans the possession of large–capacity magazines that could hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

SB 53 (de Leon, D): requires anyone purchasing ammunition to first purchase a permit and pass a background check.

I voted against the above bills but they are all making their way through the legislative process. My office has received many calls from constituents who are worried about their gun rights and I want to assure everyone that I will keep fighting against the yearly attack on our 2nd Amendment and will give you updates on these anti–gun bills throughout the summer.