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Amanda and Nick Wilcox work
on gun regulation in the face of rising gun sales across the country.
Fears the Obama administration would ban guns or make them impossible to own have no merit, according to a Nevada County couple who fight for firearms safety.
“(President Barack) Obama has never said that,” said Penn Valley resident Nick Wilcox. He and his wife, Amanda, had worked on gun regulation laws even before their daughter, Laura, was killed by mentally ill gunman Scott Thorpe in the infamous Jan. 10, 2001, shootings in Grass Valley.
“There is a lot of fear mongering out there that is skewing the information,” Nick Wilcox said.
The Supreme Court has upheld the right to possess a firearm in the home, and the Obama administration couldn’t reverse that if they wanted to, the Wilcoxes said Monday.
Gun owners have attributed recent price hikes in ammunition to growing demand by people who fear proposed laws would make ammo difficult or expensive to get. But the price hikes come in part because of growing demand for lead and brass in countries such as China, Nick Wilcox said.
The couple is actively involved in passing AB 962, a bill by Assemblyman Ken De Leon of Los Angeles that would ban sales of handgun ammunition on the Internet or by mail. It also would force shops to record information about ammunition sales.
At the Hunter’s Blind in Grass Valley, owner Rod Akin said he fears the law is a back-door attempt to regulate gun ownership by regulating ammunition. He also said he fears new laws would strip Californians’ right to own and shoot guns.
The Wilcoxes disagreed, saying AB 962 would create a system for law enforcement to track ammunition that was used in a criminal manner. It would also let law enforcement know whether handgun bullets had been sold to a member of the “prohibited class,” which are felons, violent misdemeanor offenders, mentally ill people or those who have a restraining order against them for domestic violence.
“There are kids being hit in homes by stray bullets in the cities,” Amanda Wilcox said. “It’s not a situation we have here in Nevada County, but Nick and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen here. This doesn’t impact the hunters. It’s only for handgun ammunition.”
Another proposed state law the Wilcoxes are backing is AB 814, which would force criminals to give up their firearms as part of their sentencing in court. Convicted criminals already are supposed to do that under current law, but there is no enforcement, the Wilcoxes said.
Under AB 814, a convicted person would be forced to sell or give away their firearms within five days if not in custody, or two weeks if they are jailed.
“The Department of Justice has determined there are 60,000 people in California who are prohibited from having firearms but still have them,” Nick Wilcox said. “We consider that a public safety threat.”
A federal law has also re-emerged that would ban criminals and mentally disturbed teens from buying guns without background checks. The Wilcoxes said that often leads to guns being purchased at gun shows in other states that are used in California crimes.
“It’s not about taking guns out of the hands of sane, law-abiding people,” Amanda Wilcox said of the federal law. “It’s to keep dangerous weapons out of dangerous hands.”
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
“(President Barack) Obama has never said that,” said Penn Valley resident Nick Wilcox. He and his wife, Amanda, had worked on gun regulation laws even before their daughter, Laura, was killed by mentally ill gunman Scott Thorpe in the infamous Jan. 10, 2001, shootings in Grass Valley.
“There is a lot of fear mongering out there that is skewing the information,” Nick Wilcox said.
The Supreme Court has upheld the right to possess a firearm in the home, and the Obama administration couldn’t reverse that if they wanted to, the Wilcoxes said Monday.
Gun owners have attributed recent price hikes in ammunition to growing demand by people who fear proposed laws would make ammo difficult or expensive to get. But the price hikes come in part because of growing demand for lead and brass in countries such as China, Nick Wilcox said.
The couple is actively involved in passing AB 962, a bill by Assemblyman Ken De Leon of Los Angeles that would ban sales of handgun ammunition on the Internet or by mail. It also would force shops to record information about ammunition sales.
At the Hunter’s Blind in Grass Valley, owner Rod Akin said he fears the law is a back-door attempt to regulate gun ownership by regulating ammunition. He also said he fears new laws would strip Californians’ right to own and shoot guns.
The Wilcoxes disagreed, saying AB 962 would create a system for law enforcement to track ammunition that was used in a criminal manner. It would also let law enforcement know whether handgun bullets had been sold to a member of the “prohibited class,” which are felons, violent misdemeanor offenders, mentally ill people or those who have a restraining order against them for domestic violence.
“There are kids being hit in homes by stray bullets in the cities,” Amanda Wilcox said. “It’s not a situation we have here in Nevada County, but Nick and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen here. This doesn’t impact the hunters. It’s only for handgun ammunition.”
Another proposed state law the Wilcoxes are backing is AB 814, which would force criminals to give up their firearms as part of their sentencing in court. Convicted criminals already are supposed to do that under current law, but there is no enforcement, the Wilcoxes said.
Under AB 814, a convicted person would be forced to sell or give away their firearms within five days if not in custody, or two weeks if they are jailed.
“The Department of Justice has determined there are 60,000 people in California who are prohibited from having firearms but still have them,” Nick Wilcox said. “We consider that a public safety threat.”
A federal law has also re-emerged that would ban criminals and mentally disturbed teens from buying guns without background checks. The Wilcoxes said that often leads to guns being purchased at gun shows in other states that are used in California crimes.
“It’s not about taking guns out of the hands of sane, law-abiding people,” Amanda Wilcox said of the federal law. “It’s to keep dangerous weapons out of dangerous hands.”
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
