Bay Area lawmaker’s bill would ban body armor sales for most Californians

Damon Connolly speaks during an event at Sonoma Raceway on Feb. 21, 2020, to announce legislation by state Sen. Bill Dodd aimed at improving Highway 37.

In response to an increase in mass shooters wearing bullet-proof gear, Marin’s state assemblyman has introduced a bill this month that would prohibit most California residents from buying body armor.introduced by Damon Connolly, would make it a misdemeanor offense punishable by an up to $10,000 fine for someone to buy or sell bullet-resistant body armor or clothing to people not employed in certain professions, such as law enforcement.

The prohibition would not apply to law enforcement officers, firefighters, military personnel, security guards, firearms dealers, body armor salespeople, code enforcement officers and medical first responders. The California Department of Justice would be authorized to add other exempted professions.

Additionally, the bill would make it a felony offense punishable by up to three years in prison for a person to wear body armor while committing a violent felony involving a firearm.Connolly, a Democrat representing Marin and southern Sonoma County, said his bill is modeled after legislation passed in New York last year in response to a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.

“Talking with North Bay community members during the campaign, this was an issue that was brought up several times,” Connolly wrote in an email. “Following the horrific shooting in Buffalo, New York last year, the state Legislature there passed restrictions on body armor to keep this military-grade gear out of the hands of violent criminals.”

Hmm... how about passing bills that improve QOL for people so that they don't turn to violence? But sure, banning body armor, that'll help our problem with endemic violence borne out of desperation. Seems like a good use of lawmakers' time. Tax the rich. Fix social issues.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Mourning Half Moon Bay Community Gets Flood of Support, Donations From All Over the BayAs the Half Moon Bay’s farmworker community is reeling, support and donations are flooding in from around the Bay Area.
Source: nbcbayarea - 🏆 596. / 51 Read more »

U.S. National Figure Skating Championships: Bay Area will be without a homegrown headliner; who to watch?U.S. National Figure Skating Championships: The Bay Area will be without a headliner, who to watch?
Source: mercnews - 🏆 88. / 68 Read more »

Warmer Water Drives Bottlenose Dolphins to Bay Area CoastYou may find yourself out along Bay Area beaches and encounter bottlenose dolphins. It’s been uncommon to see them out here because they typically hang out around Baja California.
Source: nbcbayarea - 🏆 596. / 51 Read more »

Google plans to cut more than 1,000 Bay Area jobs as tech layoffs widenGoogle has sketched out plans to cut well over 1,600 jobs in the Bay Area.
Source: mercnews - 🏆 88. / 68 Read more »

Candidate filing underway in Bay Area cities, school districts for May electionsNumerous Bay Area cities and two school districts are staging elections on May 6. The...
Source: HoustonChron - 🏆 609. / 51 Read more »

Wayfair and 8×8 prep job cuts in Bay Area in fresh tech layoffsWayfair and 8×8 have joined a fresh round of tech industry layoffs by revealing plans to jettison Bay Area jobs.
Source: mercnews - 🏆 88. / 68 Read more »