American Defense Enterprises

G-d bless America. CW sent me the following link:

California: High-Capacity Magazines in the Crosshairs!

The topic under question is the mandatory registration in California of magazines with capacities larger than 10 rounds. This is senate bill SB 776, introduced by Hancock-D.

What makes our legal system great? Why it would be the interesting way in which bills get introduced and then modified to legislate entirely different things….. to wit, look at SB 776 as introduced, basically a remarkably dull bill that affects where certain funding comes from for certain community based punishment programs.

Now look at SB 776 as amended. It is summarized pretty well in the first paragraph:

   SB 776, as amended, Hancock.  Punishment: community-based
punishment programs.   Firearms: large-capacity
magazines.  
   Existing law requires the Department of Justice to maintain
certain information related to firearms transactions.  
   This bill would extend those provisions to information concerning
the registration of large-capacity magazines, as specified. 

Oh! I see… SB 776, with the title “An act to amend Section 8090 of the Penal Code, relating to punishment” and listed on the CA website as “Punishment: community-based punishment progra“, thanks to amendment is now:

“An act to amend Section 8090 of Sections 11106, 12020, and 12079 of, and to add Section 12044to, the Penal Code, relating to punishment firearms“

Of course… It tends to be listed as introduced, rather than as amended…. Even though, as amended, it is an entirely different bill!

G-d bless California…..

Highlights of SB 776:

This bill would, commencing January 1, 2011, and subject to
specified exceptions, prohibit the possession of large-capacity magazines.
Violation of these provisions would be punishable by
imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year. 

This bill would, commencing January 1, 2011, and subject to
exceptions, require registration of large-capacity magazines with the
Department of Justice.

The bill would authorize the Department of Justice to charge a fee,
not to exceed $20, for registration of large-capacity magazines, and
would authorize increases in that fee,as specified.

I guess the whole “community-based punishment” bill was a sham.

Please act quickly and tell your representatives about your disapproval of this bill.. High-capacity magazines are already a crime. Registration of these is just a prelude to confiscation (of course, you can’t tell your representative that that bothers you).

I recommend comments that address the fact that this will target only law abiding citizens, for which it will create additional unnecessary hassle and paperwork. At a time when the CA government should be looking at limiting and reducing growth, this bill will cause an additional burden on an already overburdened system — specifically, the cost for administering the program is not shared by the largest user of the program — it requires police to register their large-capacity magazines and they are exempt from the $20 fee for registration. Additionally, there is no evidence that large-capacity magazines (already illegal) lead to increase crime.