New year, new laws, starting tomorrow. California is set to ban or restrict guns in most public spaces. Gun owners and advocates, no surprise, are trying to block that law. A federal appeals court has now cleared the way for that law to take effect on Monday. Legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September bans gun owners from carrying firearms in 26 types of sensitive places like hospitals, playgrounds, stadiums, zoos, and places of worship. The law also bars gun owners from carrying concealed weapons in privately owned businesses open to the public, like restaurants, unless an owner allows it.
The law has faced litigation, with California's law being blocked by an injunction from a federal judge who called it unconstitutional. However, yesterday's appeals court ruling has cleared the path for the law to be enforced at the start of the new year. Governor Gavin Newsom has reacted to the appeals court ruling, saying, 'This ruling will allow California's common sense gun laws to remain in effect while we appeal the district court's dangerous ruling.'
