California legislators partnered with former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords to announce the formation of a gun violence working group on Monday at the state Capitol.
Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011, decided to start a gun violence organization following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
One of the group's members, Democratic Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks of Oakland, said she’s introducing a bill to establish a gun violence prevention grant program.
“We can and should and must lead the way in this country on gun violence prevention programs,” Wicks said. “We have the abilities to do that, we have the political leadership to do it, [and] we have a governor who I believe carries that same mission.”
State Sen. Anthony Portantino, a member of this all Democratic group, said he plans to bring back legislation that limits the purchase of rifles or shotguns to one per month. It was vetoed by former Gov. Jerry Brown last year.
“We are going to send a strong message to the current and future gun owners,” Portantino said. “California may be a western state but it's no longer the wild west.”
Gun rights advocates say the measure is an infringement on Second Amendment rights and does nothing to prevent violence.
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