Education Commission of the States’ (ECS) 2020 Policy Watch List
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CA AB 503, The Gun-free school zone Bill.
The Bill seeks to amend section 626. 9 of the Penal Code relating to firearms which highlight school safety about guns. The bill would exempt from that crime, a person who holds a valid concealed carry license of carrying the firearm described in the license to, from, or in a church, synagogue, or other building used as a place of worship on the grounds of a public or private school providing instruction in kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, if the person has the written permission of the school authority and subject to specified conditions.
It, therefore, addresses gun violence in school environments which in this case which would fit to be from kindergarten to grades 1-12 and 1000 feet from the ground of the school.
The amendment would therefore make it legal for an individual to have a concealed firearm in a gun-free zone with written permission. The amended section 629(b) (6) and (7), would highlight the conditions surrounding the written permission which are; it may be denied, it shall be valid for only a year, it will be revocable and authorization is only based on the grounded that it is during the time of worship.
What peril or promise do you see for this Bill?
The Bill has a high chance of not being enacted since gun violence is a very delicate and serious issue in California. Different people have different reasons for the need to have or allow firearms in a gun-free zone for defensive measures.[1] One school of thought is that making an area a gun-free zone does not reduce the possible chance of gun violence in such an area. Thus, the state should allow people to have the opportunity to defend themselves should the need arise. The spirit behind the gun-free zone provision within the penal code was a preventive measure to protect the most vulnerable in society. Whereas the written permission would be for safety measures, it would also result from an increased chance of gun violence granted the opportunity.
The fact that the majority of the legislators in the Assembly are democrats they have a reservation towards gun violence which saw the enactment of this provision. They would still hold the reservation to this provision with high regard to the greater good that is public safety in light of gun violence.
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REFERENCES
CA AB 503 Gun free zones
Symon Evan,“Concealed Carry Expansion Bill Faces Another Tough Committee Vote,” > https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/concealed-carry-expansion-bill-faces-another-tough-committee-vote /< Dated 13th January, 2020 (accessed 24th October, 2020)
[1]Symon Evan,“Concealed Carry Expansion Bill Faces Another Tough Committee Vote” > https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/concealed-carry-expansion-bill-faces-another-tough-committee-vote /< Dated 13th January, 2020 (accessed 24th October, 2020)
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