Assemblyman Anthony Portantino

The gun debate has made its way back on to the list of top issues this January after the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, and the Gardenia High School shootings in Los Angeles. After these events, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D- La Cañada Flintridge) introduced bill AB 144 also know as the “open-carry” bill on January 13, 2011. The bill’s intent is to make it a “misdemeanor to openly carry an unloaded handgun on the person in specified public areas”.

In an interview with KNX Radio Portantino said, “We have laws to license weapons in California and this bill will improve them.  It keeps guns out of public places by individuals who are not properly and legally licensed to carry weapons”.

If signed into law, the violation would be punishable by misdemeanor charges resulting in a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to $1000.

One opponent of the legislation, Sam Paredes, the chief lobbyist for the Gun Owners for California, said, “I think the public realizes that no gun laws are going to prevent a situation like the Arizona shooting”.

A CNN opinion poll taken after the Tucson shooting showed that there was a slight increase in support for stricter gun control measures. Along with the trend in support of stricter gun control measures, several law enforcement agencies are in support of AB 144. Lt. Ron Cottingham, president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), referring to California neighborhoods and businesses, wrote, “It is not safe, and I fear a horrible accident could happen if something is not done about it. That is why PORAC supports AB 144.”

In a recent column, Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez also praised the bill for addressing the issue of gun control through legislation.

The bill, which isn’t subject to a timeline, will go through many committees before being voted on by the legislature.

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