California has signed a bill that will allow victims of gun violence to sue gun manufacturers, so they can finally receive some shred of justice.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1594 and hopes the new law will help minimise the number of guns circulating in the community.
“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.
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“Our kids, families and communities deserve streets free of gun violence and gun makers must be held accountable for their role in this crisis.
"Nearly every industry is held liable when people are hurt or killed by their products – guns should be no different.”
Attorney General Rob Bonta welcomed the bill and said that the gun industry should not be the only industry exempt from liability for deaths.
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He said: “In California, we refuse to settle with thoughts and prayers as innocent lives are lost— we demand and will deliver urgent action, now.
“I am grateful to the Governor for signing AB 1594 which will allow Californians to hold the gun industry accountable for the harm caused by its products. In California, we won’t let this industry off the hook.”
However, the executive director of the Gun Owners of California Sam Paredes said that the bill violates multiple constitutional amendments.
“None of this stuff, none of the bills that are going to the governor’s desk that he is going to sign pass that [constitutional] test, from our opinion. And I think we will find out in court if our opinion is correct,” Paredes said.
The 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) has shielded gun manufacturers for years from being sued by those who have fallen victim to shootings.
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However, the recent amendment 'utilises an exemption to the federal statute that allows gun makers or sellers to be sued for violations of state laws concerning the sale or marketing of firearms', as per the Governor's media release.
The law is set to come into effect on July 1, 2023.
According to the nonprofit organisation Gun Violence Archive, there have been 333 mass shootings this year alone. Additionally, a total of 23,493 people have died from gun-inflicted wounds.
Topics: US News
Charisa Bossinakis