Handful of gun bills head to Newsom’s desk

California lawmakers passed several gun bills this week related to storage, domestic violence cases and hate crimes. 

Currently, California laws mandating safe storage of firearms only apply to some gun owners. That’s if a child or someone prohibited from having one could reach it. 

Burbank state Senator Anthony Portantino told the Assembly Public Safety Committee in June that his new bill expands that to all gun owners.

“We encourage people to lock your car, and nobody cries foul or outrage, so we should certainly encourage people to lock their guns,” he said. 

Another bill requires law enforcement to record any weapons they remove at the scene of a domestic violence call. That data will be used to track the progress of firearm relinquishing work already in place. 

One more bill expands red flag laws to prevent hate crimes. 

Concerned family members and others can already request a temporary gun restraining order when a person shows signs that they might be a threat to themselves or others. 

Bill sponsor and Assembly Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur told the Senate Public Safety Committee in June that the new bill expands that.  

“We have to strengthen our tools to prevent hate-based violence,” he said.

The bill will cover people who threaten or commit violence based on hateful or extremist ideologies.

The California Attorney General’s Office’s most recent report on hate crimes says that they more than doubled in the last decade.

The bills are now headed to the Governor’s desk, while more gun bills are still working their way through the Legislature.