California lawmakers approve gun-seizure bill in response to Parkland shooting

In response to a mass shooting six months ago at a Florida high school, California lawmakers on Tuesday sent the governor a bill that would allow teachers, employers and co-workers to ask judges to remove guns from people they see as a danger to the public.

The state Senate voted to expand the state’s gun-violence restraining order law, which currently allows family members and law enforcement to petition the court to temporarily remove guns from persons seen as a threat to the public.

Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) said he introduced the bill in response to the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., in which a 19-year-old former student allegedly killed 17 people.

“As we saw in the February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, teachers and administrators saw early signs that the suspected gunman, a student, could be a threat,” Ting said. “We want to give schools in California another tool to prevent more campus tragedies.”

The measure, which allows courts to take firearms away for 21 days, extendable to a year, was opposed by the National Rifle Assn. and other groups advocating for gun owners, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union of California.

The ACLU noted the measure allows teachers and employers to seek an order without informing the person who is subject to the proposed restraining order, meaning the person “has no opportunity to contest the allegations.”

“We support efforts to prevent gun violence, but we must balance that important goal with protection of civil liberties so we do not sacrifice one in an attempt to accomplish the other,” the ACLU said in a letter to lawmakers.

The Senate vote was 25 to 12 with opposition votes cast by a bloc of Republicans, including Sen. Jim Nielsen of Gerber, who said the bill is the latest in a series of state efforts to “disarm the law-abiding.”

Nielsen said the bill raises the possibility of people seeking restraining orders based on bias or “irrational fear” of a co-worker.

“I view this as another attack on our 2nd Amendment rights,” he said.

Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) said he agrees with concerns raised by the ACLU.

“This bill poses a significant threat to our civil liberties,” he said.

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http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-may-2018-california-lawmakers-approve-gun-seizure-1535494573-htmlstory.html