(KGTV) - Two San Diego-area lawmakers introduced legislation Friday aimed at strengthening California's laws on concealed carry.
California Assemblymembers Todd Gloria and Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher introduced AB 2103, which would require concealed carry permit applicants to complete eight hours of firearm training and take part in live-fire exercises before receiving a permit.
"Under current law in California, a person who has never even fired a gun or received proper training on how to safely handle one can receive a permit and carry a loaded firearm in public," Gloria said. "This jeopardizes public safety and has to be addressed.
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"Ultimately, this will help ensure these deadly weapons do not end up in the wrong hands."
While most of state Sheriff's departments require a similar requirement, the new bill would impose a statewide standard.
The group San Diego County Gun Owners called the bill's introduction "grandstanding" and said the bill move power from local authorities to "Sacramento bureaucracy."
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"This new legislation proposed by these two anti-Second Amendment State Assemblymembers calls for safety rules for gun owners that already exist," Michael Schwartz, SDCGO executive director, said. "The purpose of this grandstanding is nothing more than an attempt to influence the public to believe that gun owners are dangerous and unsafe, which is untrue.
"This is just another Sacramento power grab that would be a disaster," Schwartz added.
