ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIKE FONG AND NEARLY 50 ADDITIONAL CALIFORNIA LEGISLATORS URGE CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION ON GUN SAFETY

On April 17, Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) and nearly 50 additional California state legislators sent a letter urging President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to pass commonsense gun safety reforms to protect the American public from the threat of gun violence.

“On January 21, 2023, we lost precious lives due to gun violence in Monterey Park. My community is part of a too-long list of places that has experienced a mass shooting. While I am proud that California leads our nation in sensible gun reform, devastating mass shootings will continue unless our federal leaders take meaningful action. Thank you to my colleagues for standing up and demanding reforms that will make our communities safer,” said Assemblymember Fong.

According to the Giffords Law Center’s 2021 Gun Law Scorecard, over the last decade, gun violence has risen by 22% across the country, and states with the weakest gun laws have been hit the hardest. An inconsistent patchwork of state gun laws allows guns to flow from states with weaker gun laws to states, like California, that have taken decisive action on gun reform.

Assemblymember Fong applauds President Biden’s Executive Order on Reducing Gun Violence and Making Our Communities Safer, a measure that will move the country closer to universal background checks and increase awareness about existing tools to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals.

The letter sent today urges Congressional leaders to do their part and pass sensible gun legislation to prevent more mass shootings and deaths of innocent victims.

file:///Users/admin/Downloads/4.17.23%20Federal%20Government%20Gun%20Reform%20Letter.pdf

Assemblymember Mike Fong, with Support from Law Enforcement and Local Leaders, Announces New Bills Aimed at Getting Guns Off Our Streets

On April24, Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) was joined by the Prosecutors Alliance of California, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, and local leaders, to announce three new bills designed to combat the proliferation of firearms and to expand language access during emergencies like mass shootings.

“With shootings happening almost daily at schools, grocery stores, churches and dance studios, we can’t rely on heroes to stop the endless scourge of gun violence plaguing our country,” said Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra). “Lawmakers are the ones who have the power to end this plague, and I’m proud to take leadership on this effort to help get weapons off our streets.  I look forward to working in partnership with the Prosecutors Alliance of California and gun safety advocates to pass these measures.”

“It’s unconscionable that we allow law enforcement agencies to resell guns in our communities,” said Prosecutors Alliance Founder and Executive Director Cristine Soto DeBerry. “To make matters worse, we have failed to remove guns from individuals convicted of serious crimes. These proposed gun safety bills will limit the rapid proliferation of guns on our streets and keep guns away from those who threaten our safety.”

According to the California Department of Justice (DOJ), there are 23,869 individuals who are prohibited from possessing a firearm yet continue to have a gun registered in their name as of January 1, 2023. Approximately 5,000 people are additionally added to the Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS) list of individuals prohibited from possessing a firearm each year.  These are all cases where the courts failed to effectively confirm surrender of firearms at the time the person was convicted. AB 732, authored by Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) and sponsored by the Prosecutors Alliance, strengthens the process for removing firearms from people who are prohibited from owning them due to a criminal conviction by increasing the court and prosecuting attorney’s roles in ensuring that guns are relinquished at the time of conviction. In sum, the court would not be able to close a case until there is proof that the firearm has been relinquished.

In addition, there is a gap in communication between DOJ and local law enforcement regarding armed prohibited persons. Currently, DOJ provides information to local law enforcement about people in their jurisdiction who are on the APPS list. But a recent report by CalMatters reveals that many local law enforcement agencies do not even know they receive these lists, let alone take action to remove firearms from those not allowed to possess them. AB 732 addresses this problem by requiring local law enforcement to designate someone to receive updates on armed prohibited persons in their area and to report to DOJ their efforts to secure relinquishment of the firearms.

Another measure, AB 733, which is also authored by Assemblymember Mike Fong, would prohibit state and local agencies from selling firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, and body armor, ensuring that these government entities are following best practices and that they are not playing a role in putting more deadly weapons on the streets of our local communities.

“The data is clear: more guns means more violence and more victims,” said George Gascón, Los Angeles County District Attorney. “Law enforcement must be in the business of getting guns off our streets, not arming our communities. I applaud Assemblymember Mike Fong and the Prosecutors Alliance of California for their leadership and urge the legislature to pass these critical gun safety laws.”

Assemblymember Mike Fong also announced AB 1638, which would require local public agencies serving a jurisdiction where 10% or more of the population speaks a language other than English to provide any information during an emergency situation in that language. This bill will expand access to important information about emergency situations in communities with significant populations of non-English speaking residents, such as those in Monterey Park and surrounding cities.

Assemblymember Mike Fong’s Statement on the Governor’s May Revision Proposal

On May 12, Assemblymember Mike Fong (D – Alhambra) issued the following statement on Governor Newsom’s proposed May Revision budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year:

“I thank the Governor for supporting our students, including maintaining the 5% increase for the California State University and the University of California, and increasing the Proposition 98 COLA from 8.13% to 8.22% for K-12 and the California Community Colleges (CCC).  However, I am concerned about significant reductions to CCC deferred maintenance and delay of funds for student housing at a time when students are returning to the classroom,” said Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra), Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.

“Reducing last year’s budget allocation of $841 million for deferred maintenance by more than half jeopardizes projects that CCCs have already initiated and funding for projects already completed.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Legislature to restore funds for deferred maintenance and implement the revolving loan fund for student housing as planned.

“Looking ahead, I urge the Governor to support our continued efforts to implement Cal Grant reform next year and support placing a K-14 school facilities bond on the 2024 statewide ballot,” said Assemblymember Mike Fong.

Assemblymember Mike Fong represents the 49^th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Alhambra, Arcadia, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, South Pasadena and Temple City, and the unincorporated areas of Pasadena and San Gabriel.  He serves as the Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, the Assembly Vice Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, and the Vice Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Caucus.