The state of California suffered a legal defeat after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said its restrictions on ammunition purchases were unconstitutional.
Two of the three judges on the court panel said California was violating the Second Amendment rights of residents by requiring a background check on ammunition purchases.
‘Today’s decision is a slap in the face to the progress California has made in recent years to keep its communities safer.’
“By subjecting Californians to background checks for all ammunition purchases, California’s ammunition background check regime infringes on the fundamental right to keep and bear arms,” Judge Sandra S. Ikuta wrote for the majority opinion.
California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who supported the restrictions, posted an angry statement after losing in court.
“Strong gun laws save lives — and today’s decision is a slap in the face to the progress California has made in recent years to keep its communities safer from gun violence,” Newsom said.
“Californians voted to require background checks on ammunition, and their voices should matter,” he added.
The decision is just the latest in seven years’ worth of legal battles over the restrictions that were implemented in the wake of a horrific Islamic terror attack in San Bernardino in 2014.
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“This case has been a long hard fight against overreaching government gun control, but a firearm cannot be effective without the ammunition to make it operable,” said California Rifle and Pistol Association President Chuck Michel. “The state of California continues to try to strip our rights, and we continue to prove their actions are unconstitutional.”
Two of the panel’s judges were nominated by President George W. Bush, while the third was nominated by President Donald Trump.
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