Senator Dave Min Introduces Legislation to Prevent Gun Violence

SACRAMENTO, CA — Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) announced today the introduction of his Senate Bill 264 (SB 264), which would prohibit the sale of firearms or ammunition on state property, effectively ending gun shows on public property across the state of California. The urgency for common-sense gun safety comes as new reports indicate 2020 was quietly the deadliest year in decades for gun-related deaths in the United States. With a record number of new gun sales in 2020, it is widely expected that gun violence will surge even more as Californians emerge from the pandemic later this year.

“SB 264 will effectively end the ‘gun show loophole’ and eliminate the sale of ghost guns, straw party sales, gun thefts from careless vendors and other unlicensed conveyances of firearms that all too often occur at gun shows,” Min said. “It also signals decisively that the state of California will not lend its endorsement to the proliferation of more guns into our communities, which are already plagued with gun violence. When kids across the state, including my three children, return to in-person instruction later this year, they’ll once again have to go through the terror of active shooter drills. That’s just wrong.

“Our county fairgrounds are supposed to be family-friendly venues, long associated with wholesome events like county fairs, 4-H events, rodeos and music festivals. But instead, in recent years, they’ve become most well-known for gun shows. That needs to change, and this bill would accomplish that change. While the Second Amendment allows for the well- regulated sales and purchase of firearms, it does not require that taxpayer-owned properties be used to facilitate those transactions.”

Senate Bill 264 has already amassed strong local support, including in Senator Min’s home district (Senate District 37), which encompasses the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

“For years, volunteers in Orange County have devoted countless hours to the issue of gun and ammunition sales on state-owned property such as the Orange County Fairgrounds,” Ashleigh Aitken, Orange County Fair Board member, said. “I thank Senator Min for his leadership in seeking to stop the perpetual cycles of gun violence we’ve seen time and time again throughout our nation.”

“The State of California should not be associated with the selling and promotion of firearms and ammunition,” said Sandy Wilder, President of Brady Orange County. “Let’s not forget that state owned properties are supported by taxpayer dollars, so they also must pay for the carnage and trauma of firearm violence in our communities."

“It’s disappointing the state plays a role in the gun deaths we see each year,” Rose Ann Sharp, NeverAgainCA founder and Brady Southern California Regional Leadership Council member, said. “Once and for all, the state must prioritize the well-being of our communities over the sale of firearms, and SB 264 does just that.”

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Dave Min represents California State Senate District 37, which is located in Orange County and includes the communities of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Foothill Ranch, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Orange, Tustin, and Villa Park.

Dave was a University of California Irvine law professor and a former economic policy staffer in the United States Senate and for the Center for American Progress. He began his legal career at the Securities and Exchange Commission to protect the retirement security of seniors, turning down high paying jobs to serve the public interest. Dave and his wife Jane live and work in Irvine, where they are raising their three young children.