Poli Alert Political & Civics
Related Articles
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) is seeking to crack down on assault weapons in the state by calling for new gun laws modeled on Texas’ abortion ban that would allow private citizens to sue anyone who makes or sells assault weapons or ghost guns.
“I am outraged by yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing Texas’ ban on most abortion services to remain in place, and largely endorsing Texas’ scheme to insulate its law from the fundamental protections of Roe v. Wade,” Newsom said in a statement.
“But if states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people’s lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm’s way,” he said referring to a ruling by a federal court in which the judge compared assault weapons to Swiss Army knives while reversing California’s ban on assault weapons.
“If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that,” Newsom said.
Newsom said he was directing his staff to work with the state Legislature and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to create a new law that would allow private citizens to sue gun manufacturers, anyone selling an assault weapon or ghost gun kit in California for at least $10,000 per violation, plus attorney’s fees.
SCOTUS is letting private citizens in Texas sue to stop abortion?!
If that's the precedent then we'll let Californians sue those who put ghost guns and assault weapons on our streets.
If TX can ban abortion and endanger lives, CA can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives. https://t.co/N5Iur9PEUZ
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) December 12, 2021
This comes after the Supreme Court allowed Texas’ abortion ban to stay in place while allowing challenges to the law to proceed. The ban gives private citizens the power to sue anyone they believe may have helped someone get an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, before some women are even aware that they are pregnant.
