New Gun Control Laws Go Into Effect in California

January 1st marks the day that a lot of new laws go into effect. It seems like a natural time for that to happen because people are used to the idea of new things in the new year.

In California, that almost invariably means new gun control laws. After all, California has extensive gun control on the books and has never really met a gun law it didn’t like.

So, 2025 isn’t any different in that regard.

The United States continues to face the impact of gun violence on communities, prompting new state and federal measures aimed at addressing the issue, which are set to take effect in 2025, USA Today reports.

In 2024 alone, nearly 500 mass shootings were reported, with the deadliest taking place in a Chicago suburb, leaving eight people dead.

Biden’s call for action

New gun safety laws taking effect in 2025

Several new gun safety measures will go into effect across the country on January 1, 2025. Here are some of the key laws:

California strengthens gun safety regulations

California governor Gavin Newsom signed a series of laws in September aimed at strengthening the state’s gun safety regulations. Among the new laws:

• AB 1483: This law strengthens rules against applying for more than one handgun in a 30-day period, though it is currently on hold due to a court injunction.
• AB 1598: Firearm dealers are now required to provide consumers with pamphlets that outline the risks of gun ownership, including the increased risk of death by suicide, homicide, or unintentional injury.
• AB 2917: Courts are now directed to expand considerations for gun violence restraining orders to include hate-based threats.

Governor Newsom emphasised the urgency of action, saying, “California won’t wait until the next school shooting or mass shooting to act.”

First, isn’t it a little hilarious that Newsom acts like there haven’t been many mass shootings in California already? I mean, it was just a couple of years ago when we kicked off the new year with multiple mass shootings inside his state.

Now, I can see the argument for AB 2917 as a tool for preventing a mass shooting or school shooting, though it should be noted that most such killers aren’t really motivated by some kind of racial or religious bias. Some are, and one could make the argument that this measure would keep them in check, but it won’t do anything for most of them.

I fail to see how gun rationing like we see in AB 1483 or how a pamphlet like is required by AB 1598 would stop a mass killing.

After all, how many guns does someone need to commit a murder, anyway? While many killers do seem to have multiple guns, many others create plenty of destruction with just one. Plus, let’s remember that Virginia Tech–the most deadly school shooting in American history–occurred in a state with gun rationing at the time. Clearly, it didn’t help.

And I’m more than a little annoyed at the idea that gun stores should be required to put pamphlets in people’s hands that blame guns for all of these things, especially when most of them are due to the willful actions of people. This isn’t like smoking where people didn’t know it was dangerous for a long time. Everyone with more than two brain cells to rub together knows guns are dangerous.

Newsom is pretending this is about stopping horrific events from happening, but let’s remember that there’s been a long line of mass murders under his watch. I can’t even remember all of them, but Half Moon Bay, Sacramento, San Jose, and a plethora of others all happened with him in office and a significant number of gun control laws on the books. None of them stopped any of those killings, just as these won’t stop the next ones.

That’s because guns aren’t the problem. They never have been and never will be.