UNITED STATES — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two new gun control laws on Tuesday, banning people from carrying firearms in most public places and doubling taxes on guns and ammunition sold in the state. The aim is to fund security improvements in public schools and gun violence prevention programs, including work with young people in gangs.
The legislation follows almost two dozen other gun control measures, though Newsom has acknowledged that many may not survive legal challenges, particularly since the US Supreme Court introduced a new standard for interpreting the nation’s gun laws. So far, one law has already been challenged by the California Rifle and Pistol Association.
Tennessee previously repealed its tax on shotgun shells in 2019, while Pennsylvania collects a $3 surcharge on gun sales to pay for background checks. California has some of the country’s lowest gun death rates, though violent crimes have risen recently. The law would generate around $159m annually, of which the first $75m is to go to the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program.
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