Legislation aims to stop stockpiling of mass ammunition and provide better police oversight

SACRAMENTO, CA - Today, Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) will re-introduce legislation to provide oversight of California's ammunition marketplace.

"In California, it's harder to get some cold medicines than ammunition," stated Skinner, referring to the state's over-the-counter pseudoephedrine laws. "Something has to change."

Last year, Skinner authored Assembly Bill 2512, which would have required large ammunition purchases to be reported to local law enforcement. Her bill also sought to close a loophole in the assault weapons law allowing individuals to have high-capacity magazines, like those found on the alleged shooter in Newtown, Connecticut.

Skinner's new bill will make buying ammunition at least as difficult as buying pseudoephedrine, a decongestant that is also a precursor to methamphetamines. This bill will:

• require all ammunition purchasers to show their IDs,
• require all ammunition sales to be reported to the Department of Justice,
• require all ammunition sellers to be licensed and undergo a background check, and
• ban kits to convert ammunition clips into high-capacity magazines.

The spate of recent shootings highlights the need for oversight of ammunition sales as it relates to the threat of gun violence. In Aurora, Colorado, the alleged gunman amassed 6,000 rounds of ammunition over a few-week period without raising red flags. In Newtown, Connecticut, police found the shooter with multiple high-capacity magazines.

"Among the most shocking details from the shooting massacre in Colorado is the undetected stockpiling of ammunition and weapons by the alleged shooter. In Newtown, the shooter had hundreds of unspent rounds. While incidents like Aurora and Newtown may be rare, we can't let ammunition stockpiling go unnoticed," said Skinner.

Current state law does not track ammunition transactions.

"Gun violence is an ongoing, yet unnecessary threat in communities throughout California. As lawmakers, we need to do everything we can to stop this trend," said Skinner.

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Elected in 2008, Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) represents the 15th Assembly District, which includes the cities and communities of Hercules, Pinole, El Sobrante, San Pablo, Richmond, El Cerrito, Kensington, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont and parts of Oakland. Skinner serves as Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee.

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