California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom released a statement on Saturday concerning his “outrage” over the Supreme Court’s decision to allow a ban on most abortion services in Texas, and claiming that he plans to create a similar bill against assault weapons and ghost guns.
“I am outraged by yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing Texas’s ban on most abortion services to remain in place, and largely endorsing Texas’s scheme to insulate its law from the fundamental protections of Roe v. Wade,” Newsom said in a statement.
“But if states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people’s lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm’s way,” he added.
If states can shield their laws from review by federal courts, then CA will use that authority to help protect lives.
We will work to create the ability for private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kit or parts in CA. pic.twitter.com/YPBJ00vN6z
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) December 12, 2021
Newsom announced that he has instructed his staff to work toward a similar bill against assault weapons and ghost guns.
“I have directed my staff to work with the Legislature and the Attorney General on a bill that would create a right of action allowing private citizens to seek injunctive relief, and statutory damages of at least $10,000 per violation plus costs and attorney’s fees, against anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kit or parts in the State of California,” Newsom continued.
“If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that,” he concluded.
The fine of $10,000 per violation matches the amount listed in the Texas law that went into effect on September 1.
The Daily Wire previous reported on the Supreme Court’s Friday decision:
The Supreme Court issued its rulings on Friday concerning two cases regarding a Texas pro-life law that bans most abortions after fetal cardiac activity can be detected.
The high court decided to allow abortion providers to continue with a lawsuit against the state, but it is allowing the legislation to stay in effect as the legal battles continue. “The ruling is procedural and will not be the final word on the law’s constitutionality,” Fox News reported.
The Supreme Court also got rid of a challenge brought by the Department of Justice against the Texas pro-life measure, stating:
The writ of certiorari is dismissed as improvidently granted. The application to vacate stay presented to JUSTICE ALITO and by him referred to the Court is denied.
It added:
JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR would grant the application to vacate stay in No. 21A85 and dissents from the dismissal of No. 21–588 as improvidently granted.
As Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the court’s opinion for the Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson case, “The Court concludes that the petitioners may pursue a pre-enforcement challenge against certain of the named defendants but not others.”