In the wake of the mass shooting in Monterey Park, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Feb. 7 adopted two gun-control regulations, one that bans the sale of large-caliber handguns and ammunition and one that prohibits people from carrying guns in county parks, plazas, beaches and buildings — with exceptions for law enforcement, active military and others.
The two new ordinances only affect unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, such as East Los Angeles, Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, Valinda, East San Gabriel, City Terrace, Agua Dulce, Topanga, West Whittier and many other communities — representing about 1.1 million of the county’s 10.2 million population.
First District Supervisor Hilda Solis said there had been 59 mass shootings in the U.S. since the start of the New Year. “That amounts to two mass shootings a day. Let that sink in,” she said during remarks at a press conference on the steps of the Hall of Administration.
“This series of mass shootings are plaguing our society like a disease and we need a vaccine to remedy this disease and our addiction to guns,” said new Monterey Park Mayor Jose Sanchez at the press event.
In addition to the two ordinances, including a ban on .50 caliber handguns and the one-half-inch bullets that they fire, the board adopted motions to pursue several other proposed gun-control measures.
But those motions require more study and could face constitutional hurdles related to the Second Amendment and a recent U.S. Supreme Court case, the board noted. The proposed ordinances are scheduled to come back to the board in 90 days after getting a legal review of their constitutionality from the Office of County Counsel.
Among those proposed, the board directed the county’s Department of Regional Planning to draw up new zoning restrictions that would require gun stores to operate at least 1,000 feet away from schools, parks or daycare centers or other gun shops, creating “child safety…
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