California Bans Open Carry of Handguns

From The Blaze.com - California became the fifth state to prohibit openly carrying handguns in public after Gov. Jerry Brown announced Monday that he had signed the ban into law late Sunday night amid heavy opposition from gun enthusiasts. AB144 by state Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena, makes it a misdemeanor to carry an exposed and unloaded gun in public or in vehicles, with violators facing up to a year in prison or a potential fine of $1,000 when the law takes effect on Jan 1. Portantino said the bill is an opportunity to prevent tragedy before it happens. “It’s not if somebody is going be shot, it’s when somebody is going to be shot,” he said. “We have the opportunity to avoid that, and that’s why this is so critical.” “By prohibiting the open carry of guns, we can now take our families to the park or out to eat without the worry of getting shot by some untrained, unscreened, self-appointed vigilante,” Dallas Stout, president of the California chapters of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said in a statement. Read more

California Bans Open Carry of Handguns