Legislative alert

Oppose SB 249
Don't Let California Legislators Confiscate Your Rifle

Committee on Appropriations Hearing on SB 249 this Thursday

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By changing the legal definition of what constitutes a detachable magazine for a semi-automatic firearm, the recently amended California Senate Bill 249, would make over a million semi-automatic rifles legally sold in that state for the last decade "illegal to possess" on July 1, 2013.

We ask all firearms owners, retailers, and sportsmen to make every effort to attend the Committee on Appropriations hearing on Thursday and contact your state legislators to oppose this bill.

An unneeded solution in search of a problem, this bill upends the existing definition of a detachable magazine as determined by Gov. Jerry Brown when he was the Attorney General. This change would result in owners having to surrender or face confiscation of their currently California-compliant semi-automatic rifles. Under the guise of banning so-called "assault weapons" if passed, this measure will take effect despite there being no meaningful statistical connection between these firearms and crime. In fact, crime has continued to decline in the state while these firearms have seen a dramatic increase in ownership rates.

Clearly intended to outlaw a whole class of semi-automatic rifles, the bill has no provisions allowing permits, licensing or reimbursement for their taking. The bill also does not require a public notice advising owners of this change in state law. We know that a great number of law enforcement professionals privately own these very rifles. Nearly half the modern sporting rifles sold today for target shooting, hunting and self defense are purchased by current or former members of law enforcement or the military. These very officers would not only have to surrender their own firearms, but can be forced to confiscate them from law abiding Californians state-wide.

Make your opposition to SB 249 known by calling or emailing your state legislators and urging them to oppose SB 249. This solution in search of a problem must not be allowed to succeed.

Also please contact members of the Committee on Appropriations and urge them to oppose SB 249 and not confiscate your legal firearms.

Mike Gatto -- Chair 916-319-2043
Diane L. Harkey -- Vice Chair 916-319-2073
Bob Blumenfield
916-319-2040
Steven Bradford 916-319-2051
Charles M. Calderon 916-319-2058
Nora Campos 916-319-2023
Mike Davis 916-319-2048
Tim Donnelly 916-319-2059
Felipe Fuentes 916-319-2039
Isadore Hall III 916-319-2052
Jerry Hill 916-319-2019
Ricardo Lara 916-319-2050
Holly J. Mitchell 916-319-2047
Jim Nielsen 916-319-2002
Chris Norby 916-319-2072
Jose Solorio 916-319-2069
Donald P. Wagner 916-319-2070

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Visit NSSF's Government Relations site at nssf.org/GovRel.