On Wednesday, Senator Anthony J. Portantino issued the following statement regarding California’s efforts to curb gun violence:

“I’m sickened by another tragic mass shooting that left at least 19 children and two adults dead. I joined Gov. Newsom and my colleagues [Wednesday] to announce common sense measures to curb gun violence. I am proud to author SB 906, which promotes safe at-home storage of firearms and quick, robust investigations of imminent violent school threats, and to joint author SB 1327, a major gun reform bill that offers a new tool to combat the rise in gun violence and save lives – a private right of action. As the governor mentioned, when California moves, other states move in the same direction. Let’s continue lead more boldly and quickly – so we can get the nation moving. We must end the gun violence epidemic in our country – we cannot afford to wait another day.

On Tuesday, Senate Bill 1327, a bill joint authored by Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Bob Hertzberg and Sen. Portantino passed the Senate floor. SB 1327 is a major gun reform measure that offers a new tool to combat the rise in gun violence and save lives – a private right of action. Gov. Newsom is the official sponsor of the legislation, stated Portantino in a press release.

“[On Tuesday] we witnessed another tragic school shooting. We have a gun violence epidemic in this country. The continued need to adopt sensible solutions to our nation’s tragic history of gun violence is dire and necessary. We must continue to take swift and meaningful steps toward combatting this epidemic in our country and improve public safety for all Californians,” said Portantino. “That includes SB 1327 – which I am proud to jointly author with Senator Hertzberg to empower individuals to bring civil lawsuits against those who manufacture, distribute or transport ghost guns into California. 

“Let’s be clear: the NRA will continue to oppose us and we need to be diligent with our efforts to make this law and keep our communities safe.”

In 2020, California accounted for 65% of all ghost guns seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

“From New York to California – and sadly, Texas – gun violence and mass shootings are tearing our country apart and shattering our sense of safety,” Hertzberg said after the 24-to-10 vote to send his measure to the Assembly. “For the sake of our children, we must do all we can to keep our people safe.”

Modeled on the structure of Texas’ recent abortion ban, SB 1327 allows private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures, distributes, transports, imports or sells assault weapons, .50 BMG rifles, ghost guns, or ghost gun kits in California. It allows citizens to sue for $10,000 on each weapon involved, as well as attorney fees.

During Portantino’s time in the Assembly, the senator successfully banned the open carry of handguns and rifles in California and, as senator, he raised the general gun purchase age in California to 21. In 2019, Gov. Newsom also signed Sen. Portantino’s SB 172. The bill enacted a slate of significant provisions related to firearms storage by broadening criminal storage crimes, adding criminal storage offenses to those offenses that can trigger a 10-year firearm ban and creating an exemption to firearm loan requirements for the purposes of preventing suicide. The same year, SB 376 was signed into law, which reduces the number of firearms an unlicensed individual is annually able to sell and the frequency with which they are able to sell. 

In 2021, Senate Bill 715 was signed into law, which enacts important gun purchase safeguards. This year, Sen. Portantino has authored SB 906, a measure that prioritizes student safety by ensuring safe at-home storage of firearms and quick, robust investigations of imminent school threats; SB 906 aims to prevent tragic shootings on campuses.