Santa Cruz County 18-year-old Rowan Parham is one of many killed as a result of gun violence in 2023
Todd Guild | Contributor
On Jan. 28, 18-year-old Rowan Parham was fatally shot at a party in Boulder Creek by a 16-year-old. Parham was fondly described as a loyal friend with a quick wit, a friend to many other students in the San Lorenzo area.
This shooting came less than a week after a mass shooting rocked the Half Moon Bay community. Just an hour down Highway 1 from Santa Cruz, Chunli Zhao allegedly shot and killed seven people and wounded one at a labor camp. The next day, on Jan. 24, another mass shooting in California made headlines when Hemet resident Huu Can Tran killed 10 people and wounded 10 others in a dance studio in Monterey Park near Los Angeles.
And these shootings are just the ones in California. This year, there have already been 59 mass shootings throughout the country, in which at least four people were wounded or killed, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
The spate of ongoing gun violence ignited the attention of California Senator Anthony Portantino, who, along with Gov. Gavin Newsom and several co-authors, introduced a bill on Feb. 1 that intends to strengthen California’s already stringent concealed carry regulations.
Portantino says the legislation was also spurred by New York Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the recent Supreme Court decision that declared unconstitutional New York’s law requiring gun owners to show good cause to carry a concealed weapon. While that decision does not affect California law, some worry the precedent could prompt gun rights advocates to overturn other legislation.
“In the wake of the recent tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay and the continued threat of mass shootings, it’s critical that California leads on the issue of gun safety and reform,” Portantino says. “I am proud to be working with Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta and activists on SB 2 to strengthen our existing concealed carry laws and ensure every Californian is safe from gun violence.”
The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action did not respond to multiple calls for comment. But on its website, it describes Senate Bill 918’s failure, a bill similar to SB 2, as a huge win for gun owners, who would not have to bear the additional costs, burdens and restrictions that the law proposed.
Newsom, who co-authored the bill, says that California’s strict gun laws have led to a 37% lower gun rate than the national average.
“We’re doubling down on gun safety and strengthening our public carry law to protect it from radical Republican attacks,” he says.
California already requires anyone applying for a CCW permit to justify their need by showing they are under threat. SB 2 would add to this by setting the minimum age for obtaining a permit to 21. It also requires stricter storage and training requirements and limits each CCW license to no more than two guns.
Also, under the proposed law, applicants must undergo interviews—usually with their local sheriff’s departments—a process that includes reference checks and a review of their social media.
Portantino’s bill would also establish several “sensitive public areas” where firearms would be forbidden, such as schools, government buildings, playgrounds and places of worship.
“The Supreme Court’s reckless Bruen decision opened up the floodgates for more guns in more places—but with this bill, California once again renews its commitment to being a national leader in the fight against gun violence,” Shannon Watts says. Watts is a California resident and founder of Moms Demand Action, part of Everytown’s grassroots network. “While the gun industry celebrated the ruling that put their profits over our safety, our grassroots army is proud to stand with our Gun Sense Champions in California to pass this critical bill and make our communities safer.”
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