Governor Newsom Statement on U.S. District Court Decision Invalidating California’s Assault Weapons Ban

SACRAMENTO， CA (October 19, 2023) — Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statement after a U.S. District Court’s decision invalidating California’s assault weapons ban law:

“Today’s radical ruling — comparing an assault rifle to a bowie knife — is a direct insult to every victim of a mass shooting and their families. Californians’ elected representatives decided almost 35 years ago that weapons of war have no place in our communities. Today, Judge Benitez decided that he knows better, public safety be damned.

“California’s gun safety laws work and they keep our families safer — today, California’s gun death rate is 43% lower than the national average — and a vast majority of Americans agree that these weapons do not belong on our streets.

“Judge Benitez is hellbent on making it more dangerous for our kids to go to school, for families to go to the mall, or to attend a place of worship. We are working with Attorney General Rob Bonta to fight this extreme and logically incoherent ruling and keep California safer, but we should not have to go get Judge Benitez overturned every time he decides to write a love letter to the gun lobby. This is exactly why I’ve called for a Constitutional amendment, and this is why I’ll keep fighting to defend our right to protect ourselves from gun violence.”

Earlier today, Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a notice of appeal to overturn the decision.