The City Council meeting on Monday Nov. 14, 2022 approved new regulations for gun sales in the city by a vote of 4 to 0, with Vice Mayor Albert Vera, Jr. absent from the proceedings.
The updated ordinance will require more stringent regulation of stores that sell guns and/or ammunition, and give the police department greater authority to inspect these businesses.
The action item saw dozen of people speaking from the podium, many citing the proximity of gun shops to grade schools, and bringing in the most recent shootings at University of Virginia. “We are here to look for what we can do to help prevent mass shootings, ” Huong Nghien-Eilbek offered,” Last week, there was a shooter drill at my son’s school – he’s six – and he said ‘I’m supposed to act like a pile of clothes’ – This is about our children, this is about the safety of our communities.”
Many who spoke were parents at La Ballona Elementary School, which has the Martin Retting gun retailer only blocks away. Sabrina Johnson, who spoke from the podium as an employee of a Retting, brought out several important points. “I support many of California’s gun reforms, but some of them create hurdles for working class people that do not exist for the wealthy.” She focused in on Item C in Chapter 11.19. “When a person who already owns firearms becomes a prohibitive person – and that can happen for many reasons, not just a felony – they are required to surrender their guns at a licensed gun dealer.” Keeping them from entering the building legally would create a hurdle to obeying the law.
Johnson also noted that the ordinance opened the door to supplying the police with someone’s personal information, and cited being harassed by the police, both LAPD and LASAD, and noted that it could lead to a bias in how the ordinance was interpreted.
Megan Oddsen, of Culver 878, presented a video of Culver City residents, focusing on parents and their children, pleading for better gun regulations.
Both of Johnson’s suggestions were included by the council returning the ordinance to staff for a a final draft.
The council will vote on a final approval at the Dec. 5, 2022 meeting.
Judith Martin-Straw
