Open Carry Ban Fails

As much as I loathe criminals and applaud police efforts to keep crime under control, the police can be tools of the ruling class. From today's U-T:

California had long allowed the open display of handguns as long as they were unloaded.

But police chiefs this year had mounted a drive to outlaw the practice, saying it risked officers’ lives because when they responded they didn’t know whether the guns were loaded.

My answer, tough. The right to bear arms is as protected as free speech. Imagine the police chiefs arguing that protests should only be allowed behind specially designated areas behind chain link fences, because potential confrontations risk officers' lives?

Lori Saldaña, my Assembly critter, is the sponsor of this bit of odiousness. Since Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1 in my district, but don't have a majority, small chance she will be turfed out in November. Fortunately, Republicans in the Assembly were able to run out the clock on this bill as Democrats apparently had other fish to fry. Saldaña let loose some frustration that her bill didn't get the love from Democrat leadership she wanted:

Saldana had pleaded for almost an hour with Democratic leaders to bring the bill up for a vote. But with midnight fast approaching and Republicans stalling, the top Democrat managing floor action in the closing-day chaos decided to sacrifice the gun bill so that other priorities could move ahead.

The Senate had earlier approved the bill by just one vote.

Later, a frustrated and angry Saldana lashed out, calling her own party’s leaders “disorganized” and described as “embarrassing” their refusal to employ parliamentary procedure tactics to choke off GOP debate so the measure could be heard.

What a bunch of tools. The state has no budget, but they have time to piss on the Bill of Rights while the state slips closer towards more financial chaos.

Apologies to KT for image at upper right.