Supervisors Pass Motion Package to Strengthen Gun Regulations

LOS ANGELES — In response to the mass shooting in the City of Monterey Park that took the lives of 11 people, Feb. 7, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a series of motions authored by board chair Janice Hahn, Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, and Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath to strengthen gun regulations in Los Angeles County and support gun safety legislation. This follows the Board of Supervisors’ recent action to declare gun violence a public health crisis in Los Angeles County.

“We know that blame for the gun violence epidemic lies with the failure of Congressional leaders to pass even the most basic federal gun laws. Because they have not acted — we have found actions we can take at the county level to protect lives,” said chair Hahn.

Item 2, authored by chair Hahn, establishes ordinances to prohibit the sale of .50 caliber firearms and ammunition in the unincorporated areas of the county and prohibit the possession of firearms on county property, with certain exceptions. The motion also requests the Department of Regional Planning to prepare an ordinance to implement zoning regulations with a 1,000 feet buffer between firearm sellers and child-sensitive areas, as well as the Treasurer and Tax Collector to prepare the final amendments to the county code regarding business licenses to enhance the regulation of firearm and ammunition dealers in unincorporated areas of the county.

Item 8, authored by Supervisor Solis, directs the county’s chief executive office’s legislative affairs and intergovernmental relations branch to send a five-signature letter to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, with a copy to the Los Angeles County Congressional delegation, in support of S.14 and S. 25 ─ legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21 and ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and importation of military-style assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and other high-capacity ammunition feeding devices.

Item 15, authored by Supervisor Horvath, instructs county counsel to draft an ordinance and report back to the Board of Supervisors on requiring all firearms in a residence be securely stored in a locked container or disabled trigger lock and draft ordinance language that would mandate liability insurance for gun owners. The motion also requests the feasibility of implementing a county gun database and asks that the Treasurer and Tax prepare an amendment to the county code requiring signs to be displayed with specific language warning customers about the risk associated with access to firearms wherever they are sold.

Item 56-A, authored by Chair Hahn, directs the county’s chief executive office’s legislative affairs and intergovernmental relations branch to support SB 2 and SB 241 – state legislation that strengthens conceal-carry laws and requires federally licensed firearm dealers to complete annual training provided by the California Department of Justice.

The Gun Violence Archive reports there have been 54 mass shootings in the United States since the start of the new year 38 days ago. This amounts to almost two mass shooting events a day.