Irresponsible gun manufacturers and distributors can no longer hide from the mass destruction they have caused in California. With @AsmPhilTing‘s bill, victims of gun violence can go to court and hold the makers of these deadly weapons accountable. pic.twitter.com/aEskHjQ5hs
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) July 12, 2022
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed into law legislation (AB 2571) that will open the floodgates for crippling lawsuits and fines against the gun industry.
AB 2571 essentially prohibits any business connected to guns and gun culture from advertising to minors. Violators will face stiff penalties and civil lawsuits for each and every offense.
“To the victims of gun violence and their families: California stands with you. The gun industry can no longer hide from the devastating harm their products cause,” Governor Newsom said in a statement.
“Our kids, families and communities deserve streets free of gun violence and gun makers must be held accountable for their role in this crisis,” he continued. “Nearly every industry is held liable when people are hurt or killed by their products – guns should be no different.”
The notion that firearms manufacturers and dealers cannot be sued is a lie.
“The firearm industry is already highly regulated through federal and state laws, with violations carrying stiff penalties,” noted the NRA-ILA in a news release.
“This is the latest salvo in gun control advocates’ long-running effort to circumvent the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), which ensures Americans have reasonable access to firearms,” it continued. “The PLCAA does not prohibit lawsuits against the firearm industry for knowingly unlawful sales, for negligent entrustment, and on traditional products liability grounds.”
The California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA), the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and Gun Owners of California (GOC) have already filed a lawsuit challenging AB 2571 on grounds that it violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
“This new law impacts Associations, Camps, Clubs, FFLs, Hunter Education, Instructors, Firearms Trainers, Youth Organizations, ranges, and those who work in association with any youth shooting program — including firearm safety training. Any promotion of firearms to those under 18 years of age may lead to hefty fines of $25,000 per incident,” said CRPA in a statement.
CRPA President and General Counsel Chuck Michel told the California Globe that the new law is “really an attempt to wipe out the next generation of hunters and shooters.”
“Politicians in Sacramento are not even trying to hide their disdain for the ‘gun culture,’ which they neither understand nor support,” he added. “They want to wipe it out.”
Stay tuned for updates.
is the News Editor of GunsAmerica.
