New Anti-2A Law Allows Gun Makers To Be Sued, Setting Dangerous Precedent

A dangerous new law has been signed by California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom – allowing for lawsuits to be filed against gun manufacturers.

The law, AB 1594 is a sneaky attack on the Second Amendment and is intended to make manufacturers think twice about whether it’s worth it or not to stay in business.

The law creates a “firearm industry standard of conduct,” including the requirement to “[e]stablish, implement, and enforce reasonable controls” and “[t]ake reasonable precautions to ensure that the firearm industry member does not sell, distribute, or provide a firearm-related product to a downstream distributor or retailer of firearm-related products who fails to establish, implement, and enforce reasonable controls.”

If at any point a company fails to comply with these arbitrary standards set forth in the bill, they may become the target of lawsuits.

“To the victims of gun violence and their families: California stands with you. The gun industry can no longer hide from the devastating harm their products cause,” Newsom said in a statement, per the Los Angeles Times. 

“Our kids, families and communities deserve streets free of gun violence and gun makers must be held accountable for their role in this crisis. Nearly every industry is held liable when people are hurt or killed by their products — guns should be no different.”

Newsom has been on an anti-2A kick as of late, signing two other laws which go after the constitutional right of Americans.

One of the laws aims to crack down on gun advertising towards “young people,” while the other seeks to place limitations on the ability of citizens to make guns at home. 

Both of these laws went into effect immediately, but the law regarding lawsuits won’t take effect until July 1 of next year.

Gun rights advocates have been increasingly concerned by Newsom’s aggression, but have pointed out that his laws have little to no legal basis.

Second Amendment Foundation spokesperson Dave Workman said this recent law seems like an “issue that shouldn’t really go anywhere because of the federal statute that prohibits this kind of legal action.”

Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, said “There is no question that every gun measure that the governor signs will be challenged in court.”

“It is already legal for people to file a lawsuit against any business, whether it’s a gun-related business or not, if they have committed a crime in the sales and marketing of their guns or the manufacturing of their products,” he said.

Paredes added that even those pushing the law are well aware that the lawsuits won’t win in court, “but they have a concentrated effort to try to bankrupt the firearms industry by requiring them to defend themselves in court, which, as you know, is a very expensive proposition even when you win.”
Regarding whether the law would even help cutting down on gun violence, Paredes was adamant, saying, “This law would have absolutely zero impact on the criminal misuse of firearms at all.”