CAL-ERT 03/20/09 -- 8:00 P.M. -- LOCAL LEGISLATIVE ALERT -- AMMO SALES RESTRICTIONS

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CAL-ERT 03/20/09 --- 8:00 P.M.
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LOCAL LEGISLATIVE ALERT
This information is accurate at the time this CAL-ERT was written and originally distributed. The NRA Members' Councils of California will keep you informed as issues affect your gun-rights in California.

On Tuesday, March 24, the Long Beach City Council is set to vote on whether to proceed with drafting an ordinance which would force ammunition sellers in Long Beach to record the identity of all ammunition purchasers, as well as other details of the sales transaction. These records will then be collected and inspected by the Long Beach Police Department with the goal of identifying purchasers who are legally prohibited from possessing ammunition. The biggest ammunition seller in Long beach is probably a Big 5 Sporting Goods store located there.

The vote is the culmination of several hearings and motions on the matter held over a span of nearly two years. Representing the NRA and CRPA, the law office of Trutanich-Michel, LLP (TMLLP) has been working on defeating the proposed ordinance since it was first proposed in 2007 by State Assembly candidate Bonnie Lowenthal to generate publicity for her campaign for state office.

The California Association of Firearm Retailers has also weighed in against the proposal.

TMLLP lawyers have maintained constant correspondence with the City of Long Beach, both through letters and requests made pursuant to the Public Records Act (linked at CalGunLaws.com). Lawyers from TMLLP also attended all Public Safety Committee hearings and Public Safety Advisory Commission meetings on the matter and voiced opposition.

This ordinance is bad policy. It does not make economic sense for the City of Long Beach since it will burden already struggling retailers and lessen tax revenue while increasing city expenses for enforcement. Collecting and managing the information is cumbersome and inefficient, and does not uncover violent criminals, but rather individuals who have unknowingly lost their right to own a gun because of botched paperwork. The results of previous ammo registration experiments have been so dismal that other cites have abandoned these schemes rather than pay to maintain them.

In reality, the proposed ordinance is another covert mechanism to intentionally hinder law-abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights. The gun ban lobby has been striving to enact ammunition regulation laws of late as a way to try to get around preemption restrictions and make firearms useless.

The ordinance is also illegal. These ammunition registration ordinances are preempted by state law in light of the court’s decision in Fiscal v. City and County of San Francisco. They may very well also constitute an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment. And, in response to questioning by one of TMLLP’s lawyers who was invited as a presenter to a Public Safety Committee hearing, an LAPD officer acknowledged that the information gathered in the few other cities with similar ordinances has been used for illegal purposes by police in those jurisdictions.

For a more detailed analysis of the opposition to the ordinance see the letters from Trutanich-Michel,LLP to the City linked at CalGunLaws.com.

Even if you don't live in Long Beach, your help is needed to defeat this proposal. Please call and email the Long Beach City Council and/or attend the City Council meeting on March 24, 2009 and voice your opposition! And tell your neighbors to do the same.

Long Beach City Council's Contact Information
Mayor Bob Foster City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Tel: (562) 570-6801 Fax: (562) 570-6538 Mayor@longbeach.gov	District 1 - Currently Vacant City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Telephone Number: (562) 570-6801 Fax Number: (562) 570-6590 Email: district1@longbeach.gov Recent California statewide elections have created a vacancy in District 1 of the Long Beach City Council. The concerns of the 1st District will be managed by the Office of Mayor Bob Foster until the vacancy can be filled. Address your email to Mayor@longbeach.gov.	District 2 - Suja Lowenthal City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Telephone Number: (562) 570-6684 Fax Number: (562) 570-6882 Field Office 2132 East 4th Street Long Beach, CA 90814 Telephone Number: (562) 570-1812 Fax Number: (562) 570-1814 E-mail Councilmember Lowenthal For immediate assistance, please call (562) 570-6684.	District 3 - Gary DeLong City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Telephone: (562) 570-6300 Fax: (562) 570-6186 E-mail: District3@LongBeach.gov Anne Cramer Chief of Staff Joseph Toney Legislative Assistant Field Office 340 Nieto Avenue Long Beach, California 90814 Telephone: (562) 570-8756 Fax: (562) 570-8760 Julie Maleki Administrative Analyst
District 4 - Patrick O'Donnell City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: 562.570.6918 Fax: 562.570.5235 E-mail: district4@longbeach.gov Staff Bridget Sramek, Chief of Staff Moises Romero, Field Deputy Brenda Caloca, Office Manager & Scheduler	District 5 - Gerrie Schipske City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Phone Number: (562) 570-6932 Fax Number: (562) 570-6857 Email: district5@longbeach.gov Field Office 2760 Studebaker Road Long Beach, CA 90815 Phone Number: (562) 570-3102 Fax Number: (562) 570-1239	District 6 - Dee Andrews City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 570-6816 Fax: (562) 570-7135 Email: district6@longbeach.gov Staff John Edmond - Chief of Staff Tonya R. Martin - Legislative Analyst Kimberly Dodson - Administrative Analyst Hadassa Jackson - Community Relations Deputy Anita Harris-Moxley, Community Relations Deputy	District 7 - Tonia Reyes Uranga City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Telephone Number: (562) 570-6139 Fax Number: (562) 570-6954 Email: district7@longbeach.gov Field Office 2125 Santa Fe Ave. Long Beach, California , 90810 Telephone Number: (562) 570-4461 Patti Sramek, Field Representative Ray Pok, Chief of Staff Denise Ng, Scheduler
District 8 - Rae Gabelich City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Phone: (562) 570-6685 Fax: (562) 570-5982 Jonathan Kraus, Chief of Staff Rose Stevens, Office Manager/Scheduler E-mail: district8@longbeach.gov Field Office 3837 Atlantic Avenue Long Beach, CA 90807 Phone: (562) 570-1326 Fax: (562) 570-1327 Linda Ivers, Field Representative Veronica Servin, Field Representative	District 9 - Vice Mayor Val Lerch City Hall Office Civic Center Plaza 333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor Long Beach, California 90802 Telephone Number: (562) 570-6137 Fax Number: (562) 570-6659 Email: district9@longbeach.gov Jonda Coman, Chief of Staff Jonny Turcios, Administrative Aide Field Office 6335 Myrtle Ave. Long Beach, California , 90805 Telephone Numbers: (562) 570-3319 (Janet) (562) 570-3315 (Jerry) Fax Number: (562) 422-3852 Janet Surber, Field Representative	Note: If you prefer to send only one email, you can send a single email to the Long Beach City Council by using the special "ONE CLICK" email address that you can find HERE . By sending one email to the special "ONE CLICK" address, each one of the city council members (listed herein) will receive a copy of your message (so it is probably a good idea to address your messages with: Dear Councilmember,). To send a "ONE CLICK" Electronic Mail to ALL of the Long Beach City Councilmembers: CLICK HERE

Due to some duplication of efforts, some people might get more than one copy of this message. We apologize if this causes any inconvenience.

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