by Brian Dahle
1st District Assemblyman
1st District Assemblyman Brian Dahle, voted against legislative Democrats’ package of gun-control bills, which will create major new burdens on law-abiding gun owners, hunters and residents of rural areas while doing little if anything to reduce gun crime according to a statement released by Dahle on Friday.
“If signed by the Governor,” Dahle said, “the bills would restrict locally elected county sheriffs’ authority to issue concealed-carry permits, impose new burdens on purchases of ammunition, and would redefine many popular hunting rifles as ‘assault weapons’ that could no longer be sold in the state, among other measures.”
“It is hard to say which of these bad bills is worst,” Dahle continued, “but it is especially frustrating to have the Legislature — in a late-session, gut-and-amend bill — decide to replace its judgment with that of the 58 locally elected county sheriffs over the criteria for issuing concealed-carry permits.
“Different communities have different needs, and sheriffs are best able to set local standards. In some of the rural areas I represent, it can commonly take an hour to get a response to a 911 call. Citizens need the ability to protect themselves. And gun owners who’ve had background checks and extra training courses to obtain concealed-carry permits are by definition the opposite of the lawless criminals we need to stop.”
Dahle explained that a new law limiting sales of ammunition will also drive up costs and restrict the availability of bullets for hunters in rural California.
“Redefining any rifle without a fixed magazine as an ‘assault weapon’ will force millions of hunters to register long guns, which are almost never used in criminal activity.”
“We all want to reduce gun violence,” Dahle said, “but these votes treat ordinary hunting rifles as ‘military-style weapons.’ They are not, but too many legislators are voting out of fear and ignorance.”
Brian Dahle represents California’s 1st Assembly District, which includes Lassen County along with all or parts of Butte, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou counties.
