California Governor Signs Bills to Strengthen Gun Control

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several gun control measures into law Tuesday, including one that allows courts to consider animal harassment and cruelty as grounds to restrict access to firearms.

The state already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. The new laws Newsom signed will expand restrictions on who can own firearms, prevent the proliferation of “ghost guns” and strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence.

“California will not wait for the next school shooting or mass shooting to act,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “In the absence of action from Congress, our state is once again leading the way by strengthening our nation-leading gun laws.”

Under the new laws, a judge can consider harassment, animal cruelty or threats of violence as evidence to warrant a gun violence restraining order. A person whose misdemeanor charge was dismissed because they were found mentally incompetent will also be prohibited from owning a firearm. Current laws only apply these restrictions to cases involving criminal charges.

Another bill aims to combat ghost guns by requiring law enforcement agencies to prohibit their contracted vendors from selling weapons intended for destruction. The measure has received bipartisan support in the Legislature.

The new laws also aim to provide more protection for victims of domestic violence. There will be fewer exceptions allowing police officers to continue to carry a gun if they are the perpetrators of domestic violence. Law enforcement is also required to confiscate firearms from perpetrators of violence.

Newsom also signed a law banning fake gunshots and fake blood during active shooter drills in California public schools.

California’s Democratic-controlled legislature has passed some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but many have failed to survive legal challenges.

Newsom has positioned himself as a leader on gun control as he eyes the national political stage. He has pushed for and signed a series of bills, including measures targeting ghost guns that are harder for law enforcement to track, raising taxes on guns and ammunition to fund education, and banning firearms from most public places. Last year, he launched a campaign calling for a constitutional amendment on gun safety, with little success.