ATF ghost gun regs + Schubert unveils new ad + California budget terms explained
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
BONTA BACKS BIDEN ON GHOST GUN RULE
On Monday, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced a new rule clarifying the agency’s definition of what qualifies as a firearm, in a bid to crack down on the proliferation of so-called “ghost guns,” homemade guns put together from kits.
“Do-it-yourself ghost gun kits allow anyone with a credit card and an internet connection to purchase and build a fully operable, untraceable weapon,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “Without effective oversight, the availability of ghost guns, unfinished frames, and receivers allows dangerous individuals to access firearms under the radar of law enforcement. They are a clear and present danger to public safety. Here in California, we have been at the forefront of the fight against ghost guns and we are pleased to see this new rule, which will bring federal law up to speed. Together, we can better monitor ghost guns and increase public safety in California and across our nation.”
The new rule reverses a Trump-era rule that so-called “80%” frames and receivers were not considered firearms under the federal Gun Control Act.
Bonta on Monday participated in a press call with the Giffords Law Center to discuss the new rule.
“In California, violent crime remains far below historical highs, but in 2020, gun deaths accounted for 91% of the rise in murders. Our state may have one of the lowest firearm mortality rates in the nation, but it is clear the wide availability of ghost guns is a serious threat to public safety. We’re seeing these instruments of death used in crimes at an unacceptably skyrocketing pace,” Bonta said in prepared remarks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, too, issued a statement on Monday following the Biden Administration’s rule announcement.
“I salute the actions taken today by the Biden Administration that align with the nation-leading efforts we have been implementing in California to address the scourge of gun violence threatening the safety of our schools, workplaces, houses of worship, and throughout our communities,” Newsom said. “California will not stand idly by as gun manufacturers, traffickers and others spread death and carnage on our streets. We will continue to lead efforts to save lives and work to ensure policies originating in California become a model for other states and the nation.”
SCHUBERT UNVEILS NEW CAMPAIGN AD
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, running as a No Party Preference candidate to become California’s next attorney general, has released a new campaign ad, this one lambasting state lawmakers and Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta for not doing enough about the homelessness crisis in the state.
The ad, titled “Homelessness Everywhere,” can be seen here.
In it, Schubert says that state lawmakers are afraid to admit that homelessness is a drug and mental health crisis and not just a housing problem.
“We need tough but compassionate laws requiring drug and mental health treatment when necessary. The incumbent attorney general won’t tell you the truth about homelessness. I just did,” Schubert says in the ad.
DECODING CALIFORNIA BUDGET JARGON
It can be hard to keep up with the California budget process.
What is a Budget Bill Jr.? Why should we care about the Gann Limit? Which proposition is which? Just what is a May Revision anyway?
If you’re struggling to understand all the jargon, assistance is available.
The California Budget and Policy Center has released a helpful glossary of terms that you may find useful to refer to, particularly as the aforementioned May Revision approaches.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Today, happily I tested negative for COVID. Tomorrow, I will be exiting isolation at the direction of the Capitol’s Attending Physician and consistent with CDC guidelines for asymptomatic individuals. Many thanks to everyone for their good wishes, chocolates and chicken soup.”
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
Many workers experienced doing their jobs from home as a result of the pandemic. Now two California lawmakers are proposing a more dramatic change: less work, period, via Wes Venteicher.
California schools lost 110,000 K-12 students in the past year, the fifth consecutive year in which enrollment declined in public schools and a decline that is projected to continue, according to state data, via Sawsan Morrar.
Biden nomination of gun agency director comes one week after Sacramento mass shooting, via Alex Roarty.