California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest anti-gun move is deep blue state antics. It’s not shocking. The man decided to go to war with the gun industry. The state has passed a bill allowing lawsuits against gun manufacturers for negligence. That will probably be some classic linguistic gymnastics, but it’s a blatant attempt to circumvent the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). The law goes into effect next summer, but legal challenges will be at the ready (via Politico):
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Tuesday allowing individuals as well as the state and local governments to sue gun makers for negligence, potentially paving the way to a wave of lawsuits if the legislation survives inevitable legal challenges.
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“If you’ve been hurt or a family member is a victim of gun violence, you can now go to court and hold these makers of deadly weapons accountable,” Newsom said as he signed the bill in a tweeted video message.
Companies could face lawsuits if their products are “abnormally dangerous,” are sold in a way that lets them be illegally converted, or end up in the hands of people who are prohibited from owning firearms.
Under federal law, a gunmaker is liable if they knowingly sell guns to criminals or if the product is known to be defective. Those are the two exceptions generally. Gun manufacturers sued over gun violence is not a valid reason. I don’t expect this law to survive. It’s an explicit backdoor attempt to prosecute the gun industry out of existence which infringes on our Second Amendment rights; this isn’t new. It’s why the Left wants to repeal the PLCAA. We all know the playbook. It’s not going to work. Also, with Gavin Newsom 2024 rumors swirling, this is a great way to get your name out there.