When it comes to gun control, California earns top marks from advocacy group
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CALIFORNIA GETS AN ‘A’ FROM GUN CONTROL GROUP
California’s famous (or infamous) gun control regulations and that earned it an “A” grade on the Giffords Law Center’s annual scorecard for gun safety laws.
“California has some of the lowest gun death rates in the country, and that is no coincidence,” said Executive Director Emma Brown in a statement.
The Golden State placed first, out of all 50 states, in gun law strength. The state ranks near the bottom (44 out of 50) in gun deaths, with an average of 8 deaths per 100,000 people — that’s 42% lower than the national average.
The report card praised California in 2024 for enacting an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, passing a safe storage law, and expanding firearm relinquishment procedures AKA gun buybacks.
The center said there’s still more room for improvement.
It called on California to take more decisive action against gun trafficking, to pass a law requiring a permit to buy a gun and to improve community violence intervention grant implementation.
“While we celebrate the gains made in states like California, there is still crucial work ahead of us. 2024 saw more than 400 mass shootings in a single year. From tragedies that rock the nation, like the one that took place at Apalachee High School, to the one that took place just yesterday at Abundant Life Christian School, to the thousands of firearm suicides every year, lawmakers must take action to save lives — and they must do it now,” Brown said.
Those schools were the site of mass shootings this year.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“SB 48 seeks to push back against threats of deportation that create fear in immigrant families. These practices suppress school attendance and rob schools of needed revenue. I am honored to partner with bill author Senator Lena Gonzalez, other legislators, and immigrant rights groups to support our families and keep ICE off our school campuses — period.”
- California Superintendent of Public Instruction (and 2026 gubernatorial candidate) Tony Thurmond, in a statement discussing the latest legislative effort to protect undocumented immigrants Tuesday. ICE is the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
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This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 4:55 AM with the headline "When it comes to gun control, California earns top marks from advocacy group."