CA Senate Rejects Open Carry Ban and Long Gun Registration. By One Vote. For Now.

The California Senate has narrowly rejected a proposed ban on open carry (of unloaded weapons) and creation of a long gun registry. By a vote of  20 to 16—just one vote short of the majority that California Senate Bill AB1934 needed to pass—the Senate sent the bill packing. The legislation would have made openly carrying a handgun in any public place a misdemeanor, and required all rifle and shotgun owners to register their weapons with the State government.

“I do not want to take weapons away from law-abiding citizens,” Democratic Sen. Mark DeSaulnier of Concord said, ahead of he final vote. “The Supreme Court has said we can put reasonable controls over handguns, and that’s what this is.” Sen. Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach saw it differently. “We have something called the Second Amendment, and I believe this bill is unconstitutional.” We may still find out. The Senate will reconsider the bill today (Tuesday).