SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a billallowing Californians to sue gun makers distributing illegal assault weapons and ghost guns.
It's part of a raft of gun legislationsigned into law this week.
"We're not waiting for others to take action. We're taking action here today," Newsom said.
Newsom signed the bill standing alongside Attorney General Rob Bonta, state lawmakers, and gun violence victims at Santa Monica College, the site of a mass shooting that killed six people in 2013.
The governor said the new law is modeled after the Texas anti-abortion law, which allows people to sue anyone who provides or assists in providing an abortion.
"If they're going to use this framework to put women's lives at risk, we're going to use it to save people's lives," Newsom said.
Other gun bills Newsom signed Thursday include legislation prohibiting the marketing of firearms to minors and a 10-year gun ownership ban for those convicted of child and elder abuse.
"I applaud the state government and Governor Newsom for making these bold moves," said Ron Marcus, President of San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention.
Marcus said he's in full support of the new laws especially given what he says was an underwhelming federal gun reform bill passed last month.
"California is saying enough of gun doubts. Let's pass some laws and try to stop guns from being manufactured and put in the hands of people that would do harm to themselves or others," Marcus said.
"The idea of suing manufacturers for what criminals are doing is completely ludicrous," said Michael Schwarts, Executive Director of the San Diego County Gun Owners PAC.
Schwartz said the organization represents "sane, trained, law-abiding" gun owners.
He said he disagrees with how the governor is going about gun control.
"The governor has been extremely adversarial to the idea of firearms ownership. I would say ridiculously unfair and overboard," Schwartz said.
