Sacramento, CA – October 15 – Today Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he will lead the "Safety for All" Initiative, a package of commonsense gun reforms requiring instant background checks for purchases
of ammunition, strengthening background checks for gun purchases, prohibiting possession of large detachable military-style magazines, and requiring the immediate surrender of firearms for people convicted of serious and violent crimes."With 150 school shootings since Newtown and many more mass shootings devastating communities across our state and nation, it is time to say enough is enough," said initiative proponent and California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom. "The Safety for All initiative will save lives by making it much harder for dangerous people to get guns and ammunition in California.""We were proud to work with Lieutenant Governor Newsom to develop the Safety for All initiative, which will give Californians the security of the toughest background check law in the nation," said Robyn Thomas, Executive Director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "For decades, California has been leading the country through the passage of smart gun laws that save lives, and this initiative continues that leadership by keeping guns and ammunition out of the wrong hands."Founded in the wake of the 1993 assault weapon massacre at 101 California Street, the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence is now the premier resource for legal expertise and information regarding firearms policy. The Law Center's attorneys track and analyze gun laws in all 50 states, file amicus briefs in critical Second Amendment cases, and work with lawmakers and advocates to promote smart gun laws that save lives.
The initiative will appear on the 2016 California ballot with the following provisions:
- Prohibits Possession of Large-Capacity Military-Style Magazines: The Safety for All initiative outlaws possession of large-capacity magazines of 11 rounds or more and provides for their legal disposal. If passed, California would join New York, New Jersey, Hawaii and The District of Columbia in banning possession of these military-style clips.
- Treats Ammunition Sales Like Gun Sales: The initiative requires licensing of ammunition vendors and point-of-sale background checks for ammunition purchases. Under the initiative, if a person is convicted of a felony, a violent misdemeanor, has a restraining order or has been declared dangerously mentally ill, they will no longer be able to buy ammunition in California. California would be the first state to require background checks at point of sale.
- Ensures People Prohibited from Owning Guns Do Not Possess Them: The initiative defines a clear firearms relinquishment process for those convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor.
- Requires Reporting Lost or Stolen Guns: The initiative requires firearm owners to notify law enforcement if their firearm has been lost or stolen. With the Safety for All initiative, California would join 11 other states and the City of Sacramento requiring lost and/or stolen firearm reporting.
- Shares Data with Federal System on Prohibited People: The initiative mandates that the California Department share data with the FBI/NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System).
Source: http://www.safetyforallact.com/
