A California state assemblyman has backtracked on a proposal to restrict self-defense rights in the state after angry backlash from Californians.
Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur (D) from Santa Monica claimed that he did not intend Assembly Bill 1333 to erode self-defense rights and said that the legislative proposal would be get a clarification.
‘If you can’t be safe in your own home, where can you flee to?’
“This bill would eliminate certain circumstances under which homicide is justifiable, including, among others, in defense of a habitation or property. The bill would additionally clarify circumstances in which homicide is not justifiable, including, among others, when a person uses more force than necessary to defend against a danger,” read the bill.
Among the critics of the bill was Assemblyman David Tangipa, a Republican who spoke to KMPH-TV.
“Can you have stop and frisk on a criminal in the middle of them breaking in if they have a bat and I have a gun?” said Tangipa.
“If that person has a bat, I almost have to allow them to hit me first to then prove that they had the intent to kill me,” he continued, “and that is unacceptable. And not only that, it steps on our Second Amendment rights. If you can’t be safe in your own home, where can you flee to?”
Zbur responded to the furor by claiming that the bill was not intended to erode defense rights.
“AB 1333 was never intended to limit a crime victim’s right to defend yourself, your family, or home,” Zbur wrote on social media. “The goal is to prevent wannabe vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse from provoking violence & claiming self defense after the fact. We will amend the bill to make this crystal clear.”
His assertion was contradicted by the community note that cited the legislation and others online who ridiculed the claim.
“Assemblymember Zbur is backtracking and claiming he didn’t intend for AB1333 to do… exactly what it says it would do,” replied civil rights attorney Laura Powell. “Fellow Californians, the pressure worked already! The Dem supermajority is used to passing whatever they want without a peep from the public. Keep it up!”
Tangipa told KMPH that Democrats were adding amendments to the proposal because of the backlash.
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