L.A. City Council bans possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines

Defying sharp warnings from gun rights groups, Los Angeles thrust itself into the national debate over  controlling the peasants and denying them their God given right to self-defense Tuesday, as city lawmakers voted unanimously to ban the possession of firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds violating the Second Amendment and Article I, Section 9, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution “No…ex post facto Law shall be passed ”

The L.A. Times reported that: Such magazines have been “the common thread” in almost all the mass shootings…” but no surprise failed to mention the same magazines have saved far more lives when used in self-defense.

The NRA, Freedom Fighters Foundation, and other gun rights groups have threatened to sue over Los Angeles’ new rules, arguing that they violate the 2nd Amendment and are preempted by existing state law.

In reaction, Councilman Paul Krekorian declared before a cheering crowd outside City Hall, “If the NRA wants to sue us over this, bring it on.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti said he was eager to sign the L.A. measure, which passed 12-0 with three council members absent. Even as city officials celebrated the newly passed restrictions, some hard core leftist gun grabbers were dismayed to hear about a proposal to exempt retired police officers from the rules — an 11th-hour change sought by the union that represents Los Angeles police.

“People who want to defend their families don’t need a 100-round drum magazine and an automatic weapon to do it,” said Krekorian, but intentionally ignoring the original intent of the Founding Fathers who knew that arms are the final check on oppressive government.

Gun rights groups argued the law violates the rights of citizens to protect themselves. Ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds “are in common use for self-defense and they are overwhelmingly chosen for that purpose,” said Anna M. Barvir, an attorney with Michel & Associates, which represents the NRA and the California Rifle & Pistol Assn.

“Indeed, millions are in the hands of good American citizens. As such, they are fully protected by the Constitution,” Barvir said in a statement.

At the Tuesday hearing, the CalGuns Shooting Sports Assn. also raised concerns. “I don’t think it’s going to have any effect on gun violence,” said the association’s director, Chad Cheung, pointing out that people in neighboring cities such as Burbank or Glendale could still possess the magazines.

“Bad people are going to do bad things, and they’ll do it regardless of whatever laws are in place,” Cheung said.

The Los Angeles ordinance is modeled on rules adopted in San Francisco and Sunnyvale that have so far survived legal challenges. Leftwich, from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, assured the council it was on “firm legal ground.” But Barvir, whose firm represents gun rights groups, said the legal battles are not over and clients are considering litigation over the L.A. rules.

The new ordinance demands Angelenos must surrender or remove all standard capacity magazines within 60 days. Violations will be a misdemeanor but a criminalization of a God given right. Garcetti has 10 days to sign the measure, which would take effect a little more than a month later.

The Los Angeles rules exempt some special classes of people, such as, police and military gun owners, licensed firearm dealers, and people who obtained guns before January 1, 2000, that can only be used with such magazines. At the Tuesday meeting, Councilman Mitch Englander also proposed an exemption for any retired police officer who holds a valid, current permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Leftist extremist Margot Bennett from women against gun violence stated “If the City Council allows this exemption, none of us are going to be happy,”

Exempting retired officers from the rules tugs the extreme left-leaning council between gun grabbing groups staunchly opposed to excluding more Angelenos and the police union bosses who made only $34,000 in campaign contributions to city candidates and elected officials since 2010.

The police union has also pushed for retired officers who they believe is part of the special class of citizens to be exempt from another proposed ordinance that would require Angelenos to lock up handguns or disable them with trigger locks when they are not being used at home.

Krekorian and several other lawmakers have balked at the idea of excluding retired officers from those storage rules, which are expected to come back before lawmakers for a vote next week. However, Krekorian said he supported exempting retired officers from the large-capacity magazine ban because it wouldn’t pose a similar risk to the public, but what we suspect he really wanted to say is it does not pose a risk to the politicians and their power who don’t want the peasants to be armed.