Bill Would Require Calif. Gun Owners to Safely Lock, Store Firearms

Democratic Senator Leland Yee says the measure would reduce unintended injuries to children.  “A gun is left on a dresser, a kitchen table, and the responsible adult is not there.  And somehow a child picks it up, plays with it, and does harm to him- or herself,” says Yee, the bill's author.

But Republican Senator Tom Berryhill says the bill is neither practical nor well thought-out.  “A homeowner who leaves a firearm on a kitchen table that owns 1,000 acres could go for a three-hour walk on his property while not violating one provision of this bill, but the average citizen who lives in a subdivision can’t even walk across the street and back without being in violation,” Berryhill says.

The measure passed 21-17.  It now moves to the Assembly.