NEWTOWN, Conn., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
(R-CA) yesterday kowtowed to anti-hunting interest groups and the gun-ban
lobby by signing into law legislation that will ban traditional ammunition
and require firearms sold in California to include a patented, sole-sourced
technology known as firearms microstamping -- a technology ballistics
experts say is "flawed." The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) --
the trade association of the firearms industry -- has been the first to
push-back on the governor, calling his decision to sign these two bills
into law "myopic" and "reckless."
"Governor Schwarzenegger has now effectively banned more firearms than
Senators Kennedy, Feinstein and Schumer combined," said Lawrence G. Keane,
NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. "The governor has proven to
gun owners and sportsmen that he is just another liberal anti-gun Hollywood
actor -- he just plays a moderate Republican on TV. Mr. Schwarzenegger has
now exposed himself for what he really is, the most anti-gun and
anti-sportsmen governor in America."
Assembly Bill 1471 mandates the technology known as firearms
microstamping, the process by which a firearm's make, model and serial
number are micro-laser engraved on the tip of the firing pin so, in theory,
that information would be imprinted on any cartridge casing fired in the
gun. Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 1471 into law despite having full
knowledge of the findings of multiple studies, including a recently
released state- funded study by the University of California at Davis that
called firearms microstamping a "flawed" technology and concluded that, "At
the current time it is not recommended that a mandate for implementation of
this technology in all semiautomatic handguns in the state of California be
made. Further testing, analysis and evaluation is required." In signing
this gun ban legislation the governor essentially admitted he knows it does
not work. He also knows that independent research shows that criminals will
be able to remove the laser engraving in mere seconds using common
household tools.
By signing the microstamping legislation Governor Schwarzenegger chose
to disregard warnings that major firearms manufacturers would be forced to
abandon the California market altogether rather than bear the astronomical
costs associated with reconfiguring the manufacturing and assembly
processes necessary for microstamping.
NSSF has also pointed out that microstamping firearms would not impact
criminals since, according to ATF, firearms used in crimes in California
were originally sold on average almost 13 years before being recovered by
the police. Firearms used in crimes are not newly sold guns, but old guns
that have been in circulation on average for over a decade.
"The governor's decision to mandate this unreliable technology is
clearly one of family politics, not sound public policy," said Keane,
alluding to Senator Ted Kennedy, the uncle of the governor's wife, who has
announced plans to introduce a federal microstamping bill.
The governor also signed into law legislation banning traditional
ammunition in key hunting areas of the state. Assembly Bill 821, backed by
anti-hunting extremists, was intended to save the California Condor from
lead poisoning despite the fact that there is no conclusive scientific
evidence that the birds are getting sick from ingesting ammunition
fragments. Advising the Governor on this issue was Marty Wilson, his
political advisor who entered a business relationship this year with the
Audubon Society -- an anti-hunting organization fighting to ban lead
ammunition.
"Governor Schwarzenegger's decision to ban lead ammunition has far
reaching implications that extend well beyond California hunters," said
Keane. "A study by the Responsive Management Company found that if a ban on
lead ammunition were to become law 24 percent of hunters would hunt outside
the state, hunt less or stop hunting altogether. This in-turn affects the
retailers of hunting equipment, their employees and the small mom-and-pop
businesses that run lodges and restaurants that hunters patronize."
A ban on lead ammunition could cost 2,230 jobs, $15 million in state
and federal income tax, $3.9 million per year in hunting license costs,
$131 million a year in retail sales and $624,000 in federal excise tax
money normally returned to California."
Clearly Governor Schwarzenegger is more concerned with helping the
political agenda of his wife's uncle, Senator Kennedy, than in doing what's
right for California," stated Keane. "To ban traditional ammunition without
evidence and to mandate a flawed technology that criminals will laugh at
could very well see every major firearms manufacturer abandon the
California market. These are stunningly bad public policy decisions by at
best a seriously ill- informed or at worst a rabidly antigun politician and
which will do nothing to reduce crime or help the recovery of the condor.
Today is a sad day for sportsmen, gun-owners, small business owners,
firearms enthusiasts and indeed wildlife in the Golden State," concluded
Keane.
Formed in 1961, the National Shooting Sports Foundation(R) (NSSF(R)) is
the trade association for the firearms and recreational shooting sports
industry. NSSF's mission is to provide trusted leadership in addressing
industry challenges and delivering programs and services to meet the
identified needs of its members by measurably advancing participation in
and understanding of hunting and the shooting sports. For more information,
visit http://www.nssf.org.
SOURCE National Shooting Sports Foundation(R)
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Related links:
http://www.nssf.org
CONTACT:
Ted Novin of National Shooting Sports
Foundation, +1-203-426-1320, +1-202-253-1860, cell
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