If you can鈥檛 beat 鈥檈m, join 鈥檈m.
That appears to be Gov. Gavin Newsom鈥檚 strategy for counteracting the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 to let stand Texas鈥� ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. 鈥淚 am outraged,鈥� the governor said in , announcing that he plans to work with state lawmakers and Attorney General Rob Bonta 鈥� whom he 鈥� to introduce a bill that would allow private citizens to sue anyone who manufactures, distributes or sells assault weapons or ghost guns.
The idea rips a page out of the playbook Texas used to craft its , which essentially transfers enforcement authority from the state to individual people by allowing them to sue abortion clinics and anyone who 鈥渁ids or abets鈥� the procedure. That, in turn, limits abortion clinics鈥� ability to challenge the law in federal court.
- : 鈥淚f states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people鈥檚 lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm鈥檚 way.鈥�
The governor鈥檚 statement settles scores on multiple fronts. First: a dig at U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez, who declared California鈥檚 assault weapon ban unconstitutional that likened an AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife. (Newsom scored another win against Benitez this month, when deeming California鈥檚 ban on high-capacity magazines illegal.)
Second: a dig at Texas, a state that Newsom regularly excoriates in press conferences for failed COVID-19 policies and high rates of violent crime. In recent weeks, Newsom has sought to frame California 鈥� perhaps an implicit attempt to that in search of .
Third: a way to elevate his national profile after , embarking on and to tornado-slammed Kentucky. State Sen. Brian Dahle, a Bieber Republican, of using the abortion case 鈥渁s an opportunity to grandstand鈥�; whether the governor鈥檚 proposed legislation would pass muster in court.
Still, Bonta, the state鈥檚 top prosecutor, seems to be on board: 鈥淎s always, we look forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature to use all tools available to us to save lives, lift up our people, and promote our values,鈥� .
However, California hasn鈥檛 always succeeded at enforcing it already has on the books. An ongoing CalMatters investigation, 鈥淥utgunned,鈥� found the state has struggled to due to a criminal conviction, mental health issue or .
is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.