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Gun Measure Advances in California
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ShareSeptember 07, 2007 5:39 PM
ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: California may soon become the first state to require all new models of semiautomatic handguns to be equipped with microstamping technology that imprints traceable codes on bullet casings when fired. "It’s not a panacea," California Assembly member Mike Feuer, the bill’s author, told ABC News, "but it will solve some gun crimes and prevent some people from being killed." Feuer said the microstamping technology, which was approved on a 21-17 vote in the state Senate on Thursday, would allow law enforcement to more easily develop leads when investigating shootings. Forty-five percent of the 2,000 homicides which took place in California last year went unsolved. Gun-related measures have fallen out of favor with national Democrats in recent years. In his post-White House memoir, President Bill Clinton partly blamed the federal Assault Weapons Ban that he signed for the Democrats’ loss of Congress in 1994. There was further handwringing among Democrats after the 2000 election in which former Vice President Gore’s support for stricter gun limits bled support among white males in rural areas. Sensitive to the political pitfalls presented by most gun-related measures, Feuer has gone out of his way to eschew the "gun control" label. He recruited widespread support from law enforcement and stresses at every turn that his legislation, the "Crime Gun Identification Act," does not apply to existing guns and does not restrict people’s right to bear arms. The bill now goes back to the Assembly for approval of changes which were made to it in the state Senate before heading to Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has not yet taken a position on it, for his signature or veto. It would take effect in 2010 and apply only to new guns. While California might soon become the first state to require microtamping, similar requirements might soon spread elsewhere. Massachusetts and Rhode Island introduced similar legislation this year and law enforcement officials in Maryland have promoted consideration in that state. On Capitol Hill, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif, have taken steps to promote microstamping on the federal level. Advocates of the technology think this is crucial since guns used in crimes often cross state borders. Matt Bennett, a former gun control advocate who now runs "Third Way," a group that promotes a centrist Democratic agenda, welcomed the progress of microstamping in the Golden State and told ABC News that California’s gun market is so large that gun manufacturers outside the state might begin to adopt microstamping absent federal legislation because it would not make economic sense to produce two versions of the same gun.
September 7, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (7)
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Just another attempt to take from the law-abiding citizens. Please stop. Keep criminals in jail and stop this idealism in thinking that writing laws solves criminal behaviour. To solve criminal behaviour, stop attacking the innocent citizens.
Years ago, a gun saved myself and at least 6 of my employees when a JUST PAROLED FELON robbed my business at gun point. Get this, its illegal for the felon to have a gun. So no law written stopped the CRIMINAL. All the laws are for is so can prosecute those who don't want to have good behaviour. Most people do not need laws to decipher right and wrong. Laws are to remove CRIMINALS. So if you're going to write laws, write them to KEEP CRIMINALS in JAIL. Stop trying to fix people and stop making the good , well behaved people suffer. No laws, just arrest and keep criminals in jail. Removing guns will NOT Stop BAD people. Taking them off the street and out of society will prevent us the INNOCENT PEOPLE from having to deal with them.
Posted by: John | Sep 7, 2007 8:01:47 PM
Even if it was possible for firearms to stamp numbers on ejected cases; are we really supposed to believe that criminals wouldn’t grind away the identification number before using the firearm in a crime, thus rendering the stamping and this idea useless. This seems like another way to bleed the firearm industry do death and to make firearms to expensive for anyone except drug dealers and Chris Rock.
Posted by: Jeffeee | Sep 7, 2007 10:36:51 PM
If you want to write a law, how about making it a mandatory 20 year sentence for a gun crime?
or... hold judges accountable for imposing light sentences for criminals that are repeat offenders?
Posted by: Piker | Sep 8, 2007 3:26:00 AM
So, it's tim to buy a REVOLVER! Only in California would such an idiotic, and unconstitutional, bill be advanced. It utterly fails in its object and is poorly considered. Indeed, a bad guy can simply save brass from another pistol and actually frame and innocent person! Our People will perish in their ignorance.
Posted by: Steve Noe | Sep 8, 2007 2:32:10 PM
I think Chris Rock has it right, leave the gun control laws untouched, just charge $50 per bullet. Now, have a field day with your automatic!!!
Posted by: old x-paratrooper | Sep 8, 2007 3:22:51 PM
I think you are all paranoid. This is a great idea. More than likely the stamping procedure is accomplished when the gun is fired. Who said anything about numbers?-It could be as simple as a stripe layed on the bullet when fired. Similar to a bar code. This identifies the gun, and the original purchaser. Makes tracing the gun back to the killer easier. This is a deterent not a limitation of right for law abiding citizens.-I think it's a good idea.
Posted by: Gary | Sep 8, 2007 9:17:16 PM
"Forty-five percent of the 2,000 homicides which took place in California last year went unsolved."
So, what percentage of those homocides were deaths from being shot BY A SEMI-AUTOMATIC? Then, to better understand further limits on how the law might help, what percent of THAT percentage left shell casings around for forensics?
Criminals already file-off gun serial numbers (even though it's illegal, gasp) so as one person pointed out, the criminals are just going to make another modification.
Posted by: DarkestKnight | Sep 9, 2007 7:22:28 PM
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