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The Justice Department warned California on Wednesday that it would file lawsuits against state officials if they do not rescind plans to enforce a “Glock ban,” which the federal government argues violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
California residents “have the constitutional right to obtain and use state-of-the-art handguns to protect themselves,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said in a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta.
“They should not be forced to settle for decade-old handgun models to keep them safe inside or outside the home,” he wrote.
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The Justice Department has warned California that it will file lawsuits against state officials if they do not rescind plans to implement a “Glock ban.” (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
This comes as California’s Assembly Bill 1127, also known as the “Glock ban,” went into effect on July 1. The legislation was signed into law by Newsom last fall.
The law prohibits licensed firearms dealers from selling or transferring any “handgun convertible into a machine gun.” It also reclassifies Glocks, which are semi-automatic pistols, as “convertible to machine guns” because state officials say their trigger mechanisms can be quickly replaced with illegal aftermarket conversion devices.
People who already own these firearms can keep them, but sales to law enforcement or the military are exempt from restrictions.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon argues that California’s law violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Dhillon said he approved of filing a federal district court complaint against California officials regarding the law, but said he would consider delaying the filing if the state agreed to enter into pre-suit negotiations.
“Although specific provisions are open to debate, at a minimum, a decision must require the State to: (1) immediately cease enforcement of the foregoing laws; (2) recognize the unconstitutionality of such laws; and (3) agree to issue a court-enforceable consent decree permanently prohibiting the State from violating the constitutional rights of its citizens through these or similar laws,” the letter said.
Dhillon gave California officials until 5 p.m. Tuesday to agree to begin pretrial negotiations.
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The law prohibits licensed firearms dealers from selling or transferring any “handgun convertible into a machine gun.” (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg)
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“We hope that the state will share our interest in finding a voluntary solution to this issue,” he wrote.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom and Bonta’s offices for comment.
