Restrictive Gun-Carry Replacement Law, Gun Tax Bill Fails in California

Prospective gun carriers in the Golden State are breathing a sigh of relief Thursday morning. California lawmakers failed Wednesday night to get SB 918, a wide-ranging bill restricting concealed carry rights, across the finish line. The bill fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority support it needed to clear the legislature.

The final vote marks a rare defeat for new gun regulations in a state known for having the strictest gun laws in the nation. The bill’s chances of success were made more difficult due to the decision of state Senator Rob Portantino (D.), the lead sponsor of SB 918, to add an urgency clause to the bill.

The clause would have made the bill take effect immediately upon passage rather than in the following year, but it increased the votes required for passage from a simple majority to a two-thirds requirement. It also faced opposition from the California State Sheriffs’ Association.