California Attorney General Rob Bonta announces that the state is appealing a recent decision by a federal judge to overturn a ban on assault weapons during a news conference at Zuckerberg General Hospital in San Francisco, Thursday, June 10, 2021. He was joined by Robyn Thomas of the Giffords Law Center, Dr. Andre Campbell of San Francisco General Hospital and San Francisco Mayor London Breed. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group via AP)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 8:05 AM PT – Friday, June 11, 2021
Democrats in California are taking aim at federal judge after the state’s attorney general appealed a ruling, which overturned the Golden State’s so-called “assault weapons ban.”
During a press conference on Thursday, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the appeal was on file. The measure comes after U.S. District Judge Roger Bonitez said the states three-decade ban was unconstitutional and infringes on the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms.
“I think we can agree the decision was disappointing, and the reasoning such as equating assault weapons to Swiss-army knives and false claims that COVID-19 vaccines have killed more people than mass shootings was shocking,” Bonta stated.
#BREAKING: We’ve appealed the district court’s decision that overturned CA’s decades-old assault weapons ban.
Equating firearms that have been used in many of the deadliest mass shootings in this country with Swiss Army knives has no basis in law or fact.https://t.co/treOYf3vsr
— Rob Bonta (@AGRobBonta) June 10, 2021
In 1989, California became the first state to ban the specific class of weapon after a mass shooting took the lives of five children. Currently, a 30 day stay of the judge’s decision remains in effect.
“Its nothing that’s exotic, it’s nothing that’s unusual; these are semi automatic rifles that people use for sport hunting and especially self defense,” stated Michael Schwartz, director of the San Diego Gun Owners PAC. “The best part of the decision is that the judge is pointing out that, ‘hey this is a firearm like any other firearm’ and that the right really has to do with self defense.”
Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom joined the attorney general in slamming Judge Bonitez while denouncing him as a “stone cold ideologue.”
“Is it Parkland? Is it Southerland Springs? Is it San Bernardino? Is it Powey?” asked Newsom. “You got another 10 minutes? I could continue down that damn list. I said it the other day, what the hell is wrong with us? We’re better than this.”
The Firearms Policy Coalition, however, condemned Newsom’s’ “outrageous and callous personal attacks” on the federal judge. The organization said the governors verbal assaults shows his deep and continuing disrespect for the rule of law as well as the human rights of California citizens.
In the meantime, gun rights advocates remain hopeful their rights will no longer be restricted.
“That’s our second Amendment right,” stated gun owner Art Negrete. “Now whatever you decide to name it, that’s on you, but we have the right to bear arms period.”
The attorney general said the state plans on asking the appeals court to put the judged ruling on hold, so the ban will remain in effect throughout the appeals process.
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