A California gun rights group
has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the state's restrictions on
openly carrying firearms.
The California Rifle and
Pistol Association, the local arm of the National Rifle Association, and four
gun advocates filed suit against Democratic Attorney General Kamala Harris and
Los Angeles Sheriff James McDonnell on Wednesday, saying state law granted
cities and counties too much power to restrict the open carry of firearms by
residents who wish to do so.
The lawsuit said that in light
of a recent ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upholding
restrictions on carrying concealed weapons, the state must allow open carry
because to do otherwise would effectively strip most people of their right to
bear arms under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The attorney general's office
did not comment on the case other than to say officials were reviewing it.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S.
District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, comes as
the NRA and other gun rights organizations are embroiled in numerous battles
with gun control advocates in the most populous U.S. state. Last month,
Democratic Governor Jerry Brown signed several gun control measures into law,
including one requiring background checks for ammunition purchases.
Gun rights advocates have
expressed alarm over the measures, calling the package of bills a "gunpocalypse."
Another gun control package
will go before voters on the November ballot.
(Reporting by Sharon
Bernstein; Editing by Peter Cooney and David Gregorio)
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