The Los Angeles Times: on Gun Control
Al Gore:
Agrees with Bush on banning weapons; but wants registration
Where They Agree: Regarding guns, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore would, if elected president:- Support the current ban on assault weapons.
- Prohibit juveniles from possessing assault weapons.
- Ban imports
of high-capacity ammunition clips.
- Raise the minimum age for possessing a handgun from 18 to 21.
- Require that trigger locks be sold with handguns.
Where They Differ- Bush also would:
- Provide more money
for enforcement of gun laws.
- Support automatic detention for young people who commit crimes with guns.
- Oppose government-mandated registration of guns owned by people who don’t break laws.
- Gore also would:
- Require photo
licensing for handgun purchases.
- Limit gun purchases to one per month and require a three-day waiting period.
- Require manufacturers and federally licensed sellers to report sales to a state authority.
Source: Associated Press in Los Angeles Times
Apr 21, 2000
Antonio Villaraigosa:
Supports Life Act: restrict ammunition, licenses, & weapons
As lawmakers began to consider more than a dozen gun control measures, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa flew to Sacramento to urge them to take "dramatic and heroic" action. Villaraigosa referred to mass shootings, including the one that killed 20
children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in asking lawmakers to approve a package of bills dubbed as the "Life Act."The proposals include requirements for licenses and background checks for those buying ammunition. They also would
close loopholes on the possession of assault weapons with large-capacity magazines. "We have seen too many children killed or living in the aftermath of horrific violence," Villaraigosa told a packed hearing of the Senate Public Safety Committee. "You
have before you the opportunity to make our laws stronger, an opportunity to make California a leader again on the issue of gun violence," he added.
The NRA said the legislation violates their constitutional rights and punishes law-abiding gun owners.
Source: Los Angeles Times on 2014 California Governor race
Apr 16, 2013
Barbara Boxer:
Assault weapon ban has kept people safe
Fiorina restated her opposition to the federal assault weapons ban, saying the law is vague and ineffective. "We have loads of laws, and most of the time, criminals are breaking those laws and we are curtailing citizens' lawful rights to carry guns," she
said. "The assault weapons ban is extremely arbitrary about what qualifies as an assault weapon."Boxer countered that such bans have kept people safe. "To go back to that dangerous yesterday makes no sense," she said. "It has bipartisan support."
Source: Los Angeles Times coverage of 2010 CA Senate Debate
Sep 2, 2010
Carly Fiorina:
Opposed 1994 assault weapon ban; opposes no-fly list gun ban
The no-fly list is still an issue. The election, Boxer said, "is a choice between someone who is working to keep our airlines safe and working to keep guns out the hands of terrorists, versus someone who believes that those on the suspected terrorist
no-fly list should be able to buy a gun--any gun."Fiorina dismissed Boxer's recent focus on gun control--including Fiorina's opposition to the 1994 assault weapons ban--as a "desperate attempt" to distract voters from the real issues that concern
them, including the dismal economy and need for job creation. Fiorina sidestepped a question about her support for allowing people on the federal government's no-fly list to purchase firearms. "Barbara Boxer knows perfectly well the difference between
the terrorist watch list and the no-fly list, and if she doesn't know the difference, then that's really a problem," Fiorina said. "It was Boxer who voted to give constitutional rights to terrorists. Boxer's record on national security is fairly weak."
Source: L.A. Times PolitiCal coverage of 2010 CA Senate Debate
Oct 18, 2010
Carly Fiorina:
Let people on no-fly list purchase guns; it's poorly managed
The debate between Boxer and Fiorina over the no-fly list emerged after a May primary debate in Los Angeles at which the moderator asked Fiorina and her then-opponents whether people on the "no-fly watch list" should "be allowed to purchase a gun."
Fiorina said they should: "The no-fly list has been, unfortunately, way too large, and I know people who have been on it who have been stopped and if we permit anyone who is on that no-fly list to have their 2nd Amendment rights taken away from them,
that's a terrible problem," she said.
During a subsequent debate with Boxer in September in Moraga, Fiorina asserted that her sister-in-law, a friend's husband and the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts had all been on the no-fly list, which
she added "isn't particularly well managed."
But Fiorina was mistaken at least in part, according to a TSA myth-fact document: Kennedy was never on the no-fly list--but his name closely matched that of someone on the watch list.
Source: L.A. Times PolitiCal coverage of 2010 CA Senate Debate
Oct 18, 2010
Carly Fiorina:
Assault weapon ban is arbitrary about which weapons qualify
Fiorina restated her opposition to the federal assault weapons ban, saying the law is vague and ineffective. "We have loads of laws, and most of the time, criminals are breaking those laws and we are curtailing citizens' lawful rights to carry guns," she
said. "The assault weapons ban is extremely arbitrary about what qualifies as an assault weapon."Boxer countered that such bans have kept people safe. "To go back to that dangerous yesterday makes no sense," she said. "It has bipartisan support."
Source: Los Angeles Times coverage of 2010 CA Senate Debate
Sep 2, 2010
Dick Cheney:
Now might outlaw plastic guns & cop-killer bullets
Asked whether he would change a vote he cast opposing a ban on plastic guns that foil metal detectors or “cop-killer” bullets that can pierce police armor, Cheney said, “I’d be happy to entertain that notion. I don’t want to say that I’m absolutely for
‘cop-killer’ bullets. I’m clearly not.” Cheney said Democrats who then controlled the House had limited debate on the weapon measures and barred Republicans from adding amendments. Now, he said, he might support outlawing the bullets and plastic guns.
Source: Michael Finnegan, LA Times
Jul 31, 2000
Gavin Newsom:
Supports background checks
Newsom is a longtime foe of the NRA. He was a primary sponsor of Proposition 63, a ballot measure voters approved in November that requires background checks to purchase ammunition,
bans possession of high-capacity magazines and other gun-safety efforts.
Source: Los Angeles Times on 2018 California gubernatorial race
Jun 30, 2017
George W. Bush:
Gun restrictions OK within basic right to own guns
Bush opposed repeal of the 1994 assault weapon ban and indicated his openness to Clinton's call to raise the age of legal handgun ownership from 18 to 21. But Bush opposed Clinton's call for reinstituting 3-day waiting periods for gun purchases, saying
he preferred instant background checks. And while he said he could support national legislation to extend such instant checks to purchases at unregulated gun shows, he's made no effort to support a state bill that would have done just that in Texas.
Source: L.A. Times
May 1, 1999
George W. Bush:
Agrees with Gore on trigger locks;but wants more enforcement
Where They Agree: Regarding guns, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore would, if elected president:- Support the current ban on assault weapons.
- Prohibit juveniles from possessing assault weapons.
- Ban imports
of high-capacity ammunition clips.
- Raise the minimum age for possessing a handgun from 18 to 21.
- Require that trigger locks be sold with handguns.
Where They Differ- Bush also would:
- Provide more money
for enforcement of gun laws.
- Support automatic detention for young people who commit crimes with guns.
- Oppose government-mandated registration of guns owned by people who don't break laws.
- Gore also would:
- Require photo
licensing for handgun purchases.
- Limit gun purchases to one per month and require a three-day waiting period.
- Require manufacturers and federally licensed sellers to report sales to a state authority.
Source: Associated Press in Los Angeles Times
Apr 21, 2000
Jerry Brown:
Pushed back against liberals on gun control
Brown has established himself as a moderating force in Sacramento, pushing back against liberals on issues such as gun control and business regulation, which, to some, suggests an effort to shed the kooky
Left Coast image of his first time as governor, more than 20 years ago, and craft a more centrist profile ahead of 2016.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "Politics Now: Brown 2016"
Dec 17, 2013
John McCain:
Supports ban on certain assault weapons
McCain said he was open to voting for an assault weapon ban, depending on the details.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "McCain Calls for Hearings"
Aug 17, 1999
Kevin Faulconer:
Keep California's tight restrictions, no need for changes
On gun control, Faulconer differs from other candidates.
He's OK with California's tight restrictions and doesn't want to weaken or strengthen them.
Source: Los Angeles Times on 2021 CA recall race
Jul 19, 2021
Katie Porter:
Ban assault weapons, strengthen background checks
The federal government has a duty to keep Americans safe. No one should fear going to the grocery store, to school, or to houses of worship. I have supported legislation to ban assault weapons, strengthen background checks, and allow our justice system
to hold gun manufacturers accountable. Gun violence solutions should be research-based and effective at reducing gun deaths by suicide, accidental gun deaths, family-based violence, and mass shootings.
Source: Los Angeles Times on 2024 California Senate race
Oct 20, 2022
Page last updated: Aug 06, 2024