California DOJ acknowledges data leak + Anti-gun rally set for the Capitol on Thursday
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
ATTORNEY GENERAL CONFIRMS CCW PERSONAL DATA LEAK
The California Department of Justice on Wednesday confirmed that personal information belonging to concealed and carry weapons (CCW) permit applicants was exposed to the public when the agency updated its Firearms Dashboard Portal on June 27.
The department said the data belonged to those who were approved or denied for a CCW permit between 2011 and 2021. The information included names, date of birth, gender, race, driver’s license number, addresses and criminal history.
According to the agency, the data was publicly available for less than 24 hours.
Other affected dashboards include the Assault Weapon Registry, Handguns Certified for Sale, Dealer Record of Sale, Firearm Certificate Safety, and Gun Violence Restraining Order dashboards, according to the attorney general’s office. The Department of Justice is determining the extent of personally identifiable information that have been exposed.
“This unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable and falls far short of my expectations for this department,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “I immediately launched an investigation into how this occurred at the California Department of Justice and will take strong corrective measures where necessary.”
Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, who is running for governor, condemned the leak of personal information, saying that women who apply for CCW permits often do so because they fear for their lives.
“Consequently, those women will now have to worry that the person they least wanted to see again may have just been given their address by this careless act of bureaucratic idiocy,” Dahle said in a statement.
‘PEACE IN THE STREETS’ RALLY PLANNED FOR THURSDAY
Politicians, musicians and civil rights advocates are set to take the Capitol steps Thursday for a “Peace in the Streets” anti-gun rally.
The event is being hosted by Organized Voices and Voices of Youth.
The rally will feature speakers including Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, DJ Yella of NWA, and Lonzo and DJ Cli-N-Tel of World Class Wreckin’ Crew, as well as civil rights groups ACLU, NAACP, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, All of Us or None, NorCal Resist and Vanguard Media Group.
“The rally will address the need for youth mentorship and community partnerships to prevent gun violence and not rely on legislation alone,” according to a statement announcing the event.
It begins at noon Thursday on the west Capitol steps and runs til 3 p.m.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Unpopular Opinion: The California DMV has vastly improved and gets a bad rap.”
- California GOP consultant Matt Rexroad, via Twitter.
Best of the Bee:
California’s highly-touted website that helps people find jobs and businesses fill openings has been out of service all week — and is expected to remain down until after the July 4 holiday, via David Lightman.
Continuing his crusade to fortify California’s troubled electricity grid, Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing last-minute legislation that would give the state authority to streamline approvals for new energy projects — and potentially prolong the lives of the state’s last remaining nuclear plant and a group of aging fossil fuel plants in Southern California, via Dale Kasler.
A new California law starting in July will require bartenders and their managers to pay for training to help reduce drunk driving and other alcohol-related risks, via Dominique Williams.