On March 2, 2010, The City Council for the City of Emeryville passed on first reading two regulatory items concerning firearms and ammunition vendors.

The first is an "urgency interim ordinance" to establish "a temporary moratorium on the establishment of any retail sales use engaged in selling leasing or otherwise transferring any firearm or ammunition within the City of Emeryville" for 45 days, according to the records from the City Council meeting. This means that no firearm or ammunition vendors may go into business in Emeryville until April 16, 2010.

"Sting" operations against gun shows and firearm retailers will continue in the coming months, and participants need to be extra cautious to not violate the law.

Please help us get the word out. To assist in this effort, you can print and distribute this gun show warning flyer.

Click here to view and print gun show warning flyers.

On February 15, 2010, the City Council for the City of Commerce postponed a vote over the future of the James W. Bristow Marksmanship Range in Commerce’s Veterans Memorial Park. Though city staff recommended permanent closure of the range, the Council chose to postpone taking any action, as requested by the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA made the request so it would have time to study the situation. This request was reiterated by several members of the public who spoke to oppose the closure of the range. Not one public speaker was in favor of the range’s closure.

In the fall of 2009, Commerce "temporarily" closed the range based on testing that indicated the presence of lead dust nearby. About a month later, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) issued a "Notice to Comply" to Commerce regarding the range’s operations. The AQMD Notice to Comply alleged the presence of unresolved lead dust issues around the range, and instructed Commerce that it could not reopen the range until it got the AQMD’s approval.

On February 17, 2010, the Department of Justice will be closing its public comment period concerning the proposed action to adopt regulations implementing AB 1471.  That law requires that, commencing January 1, 2010, all semiautomatic pistols not listed on the roster of handguns approved for direct sale by retailer firearm dealers found at Penal code section 12131 be "designed and equipped" with microstamping technology.  But the Department of Justice must certify that any technology used is available to more than one manufacturer unencumbered by any patent restrictions before the law can take effect.