A federal appeals court in San Francisco is upholding California's ban on high-capacity weapon magazines.
A majority of judges on the 9th Circuit ruled that SB 1446 and Proposition 63 were constitutional. Both laws were passed in 2016 after a series of mass shootings in the state. To decrease gun violence, the state enacted bans on high-capacity magazines that could hold more than 10 bullets. The laws also required gun owners to sell their high-capacity magazines to buyers in other states or turn them into local law enforcement officials. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the ruling was "a victory for public safety in California."
“The ban on legal possession of large-capacity magazines reasonably supports California’s effort to reduce the devastating damage wrought by mass shootings,” Judge Susan P. Graber, a Clinton appointee, wrote for the court. Two other gun control cases have been put on hold pending a decision in the magazine case. Tuesday’s decision indicates that California’s ban on assault weapons, which a lower court had struck down, is also likely to be ruled constitutional.
A majority of justices on the Supreme Court has expressed support for limiting gun regulations, and the court is expected next year to strike down laws in California and New York that deny permits for most people to carry concealed weapons in public., according to The Los Angeles Times.