#1 - It will be overturned in court . . . like the last time.
The California legislature has long
mandated that they, and they alone, have the regulatory power over
firearms. In 1982 San Francisco
passed a handgun ban, and the courts overturned it because state law
preempts local bans. Over the past few years the
California Rifle and
Pistol Association has taken many cities and counties to court over
"Saturday Night Special", "Assault Weapon" and "Compact Handgun" bans . .
. and has won all these cases based on state preemption powers.
Why waste millions of taxpayer dollars on lawyers that will lose the
case?
Incidentally, the argument that there is a "new legal angle" based on
"home rule" provisions is bogus. |
#2 - Homicides will rise sharply . . . just
like Washington D.C.
The homicide rate in San
Francisco is 5.2 per 100,000 (below the national average of 8.1), while
Washington D.C. -- where guns are banned -- has a homicide rate of 46.2, or
8.8 times higher (source, FBI Uniform Crime Statistics). Why
increase the risk of violence in the city?
Note: Some pro-ban groups claim the D.C. homicide
rate is 9.4, which is false. These groups are citing the FBI's
Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes 17 Virginia counties,
five
Maryland counties, and two West Virginia counties that surround D.C.
(Virginia and West Virginia are "free gun" states, and Maryland
has
moderate restrictions). The homicide rates for Virginia and West
Virginia are the same or lower than San Francisco. |