California gun violence victims, local governments and the state’s attorney general will now be able to sue the companies that manufacture the firearms used in crimes.
“Say hello to my little friend.” And by “little friend,” I mean the lawsuits that are about to hit gun companies, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom has just signed a bill into legislation that allows gun violence victims to file civil suits against gun companies whose products were used in gun violence-related incidents.
It’s called the California Assembly Bill 1594 and its described as a bill that “utilizes an exemption to the federal statute that allows gun makers or sellers to be sued for violations of state laws concerning the sale or marketing of firearms,” reads a news release.
The move comes as mass shootings and numerous gun-related incidents continue to hit the country. In just 2022 alone, there have been 23,513 gun violence-related deaths in the country, according to GunViolenceArchive.org. Due to California’s already tough gun control laws, the state was listed as having the 44th lowest gun death rate in the country, with 8.5 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 13.7 deaths per 100,000 nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
And Newsom is taking it a step further with California Assembly Bill 1594.
“To the victims of gun violence and their families: California stands with you. The gun industry can no longer hide from the devastating harm their products cause,” said Newsom in the news release. “Our kids, families and communities deserve streets free of gun violence and gun makers must be held accountable for their role in this crisis. Nearly every industry is held liable when people are hurt or killed by their products — guns should be no different.”
