California
In year since Monterey Park mass shooting, California has passed a bevy of new gun laws
More than 20 new gun safety laws were passed by California state legislators last year following mass shootings in Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay and elsewhere.
Those laws are designed to make it more difficult for potentially dangerous people to keep firearms, help trace perpetrators when one is used improperly and tax ammunition to fund school safety and gun violence intervention programs.
Advocates, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, say California is leading the nation on such reforms and its success is evidence that “gun safety laws work.”
“The data proves they save lives: California’s gun death rate is 43% lower than the rest of the nation,” Newsom said in September. “These new laws will make our communities and families safer.”
Tanya Schardt, senior counsel at Brady, a nonprofit advocating for gun safety, said the lower rate of gun-related deaths in California is the “result of deliberate, strategic interventions to set up a system of laws that work.”
“California did a lot last year with a really diverse package of bills,” Schardt said. “It’s a big step forward.”
Those bills include:
- AB 28, from Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Woodland Hills, imposed a tax on the sale of bullets, which is expected to raise $160 million annually for gun violence intervention programs.
- AB 732, from Assemblymember Mike Fong, D-Monterey Park, increased the standards for surrendering firearms following criminal convictions and requires the Department of Justice and local agencies to address a backlog of individuals who may not have turned over their firearms.
- SB 452, from Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, prohibits the sale of semiautomatic pistols without microstamping technology, which imprints a code on casings fired from the weapon, after Dec. 31, 2027.
- SB 2, from Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena, sets a minimum age of 21 for a concealed carry weapon license and restricts license holders from carrying those weapons in certain sensitive locations.
- SB 241, from Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, requires gun dealers and their employees to complete annual training and certification related to the prevention of theft, fraud and illegal purchases.
In 2023, there were 42 mass shootings in the United States in which four or more people were killed, including four in California, according to a database compiled by USA Today, The Associated Press and Northeastern University. In California alone last year, 28 people were killed and 10 injured in mass shootings.
The deadliest of those shootings occurred on Jan. 21, 2023, during Monterey Park’s Lunar New Year celebration. A gunman wielding a semiautomatic handgun entered the Star Ballroom Dance Studio and opened fire on the crowd, killing 11 and injuring nine using a semiautomatic handgun. Two days later, a farm worker killed seven and wounded one at two mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay.
If SB 452 had been in place, the microstamping on the handgun used in Monterey Park would have allowed law enforcement to immediately identify the shooter, Schardt said.
Other bills, such as AB 28 and AB 1587, aim to prevent gun violence by developing programs to address the root causes and to flag suspicious behavior before a firearm is used, she said.
Last year, American Express, Mastercard and Visa faced pushback over plans to introduce a merchant code to track firearm purchases and flag suspicious behavior. While other states quickly passed laws to prevent the implementation of such a code due to privacy concerns, California took the opposite approach and made it mandatory for banks and credit cards starting Jan. 1.
“Financial institutions can now be a part of our efforts since they are in a unique position to flag buying patterns that no one else can,” stated Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, following the signing of his bill, AB 1587. “Merchant codes are already assigned to other retailers, and the gun industry should be included. Identifying large purchases of firearms and ammunition can be instrumental in helping California prevent tragedies and to save lives.”
Similar codes are used by law enforcement to identify potential human trafficking or fraud, according to Schardt.
Portantino, the state senator from Pasadena, said California’s policies are about “preventing the next tragedy.”
“The data is clear, California is safer than Mississippi or Texas, because of our policy,” Portantino said. “These are are public safety initiatives and we know they work.”
SB 2, the CCW law authored by Portantino, immediately faced legal challenges from gun rights advocates. A judge issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which was set to go into effect at the start of the year, after declaring parts of it unconstitutional in December.
The injunction was stayed in early January and then reinstated days later. Litigation against the legislation is still pending, but Portantino said roughly 80% of the law is in effect now, including requirements for 16 hours of training and limitations on carrying firearms in certain locations, such as airports, government buildings and schools.
“It’s an issue that is going to continue to be contested,” Portantino said. “The attorney general is vigorously defending the integrity of SB 2.”
Portantino said he intends to continue to push for additional reforms in 2024. Another bill, SB 53, is working its way through the Legislature already. It would require firearms in homes to be stored in a Department of Justice-approved lock box or safe. Multiple violations could lead to a one-year ban on the purchase and possession of a firearm.
More than 76% of school shooters obtain guns from their homes, he said.
“If you’re going to be trusted with a weapon that kills people, you should be responsible,” he said. “And if you’re irresponsible, you should be held accountable.”
Fong, the assemblymember from Monterey Park, brought forward two other gun safety bills last year. AB 733, which would have prohibited law enforcement agencies from selling firearms, faced opposition from police unions and ultimately was vetoed by Newsom. The other, AB 1638, which was signed into law, requires local agencies providing emergency response services to provide information in English and all languages spoken by 5% or more of the population.
The latter was brought forward in response to the shooting in Monterey Park last January, Fong said. Monterey Park has one of the largest percentages of Asian residents in Los Angeles County and many seniors in the community, who do not speak English, were unable to get quick and accurate information in the aftermath of the tragedy.
“They didn’t know if the shooter was still a threat,” Fong said.
Fong said he plans to continue to work with the Legislature’s Gun Violence Working Group to push forward more reforms in the future.
“In 2023, California made tremendous progress, but we always know there is more work to be done,” Fong said.
The shooting in Monterey Park led to movement at the federal level as well.
President Joe Biden, during a visit to Monterey Park, unveiled an executive order instructing the U.S. attorney general to ensure that gun dealers are conducting required background checks and to stop gun dealers from selling weapons if they have lost their federal licenses.
In September, Biden created the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, to coordinate nationwide efforts to prevent gun violence. At the time, Biden renewed a call to Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to adopt a safe storage law and to implement universal background checks.
“I’m not going to be quiet until we get it done,” Biden said at the time.
California
‘Explosive diarrhea’ parasite surfaces in California as health officials fear statewide surge
A parasite that causes bouts of “explosive diarrhea” has surfaced in California as a fast-growing outbreak sweeps across the US — with health officials warning the state’s official case count likely captures only a fraction of the true number of infections.
State data show between that between 1 and 10 California cases have been linked to a broader statewide outbreak as authorities continue tracking the spread.
But officials say many infections are never confirmed because some people recover without seeking medical care or getting tested, the parasite requires specialized laboratory testing to detect, and confirmed cases can take about six weeks to be reported.
Most of California’s infections have been tied to international travel rather than the expanding multistate outbreak.
Across the country, at least 2,944 people in 32 states have been sickened, with Michigan bearing the brunt of the outbreak.
The state has reported 1,562 infections, roughly 31 times the approximately 50 cases it typically records in a year, and at least 44 people have been hospitalized.
Investigators are examining whether contaminated food is driving the spike, but they have not identified a specific produce item, supplier or grower responsible for the outbreak.
Cyclospora, the parasite behind the illness known as cyclosporiasis, is typically spread through food or water contaminated with feces.
Previous outbreaks have been traced to imported fresh produce, including raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro.
According to the CDC, the illness can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”
Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Symptoms usually begin about one week after infection, although they can appear anywhere from two days to two weeks later, making it more difficult for investigators to determine where someone was exposed.
The CDC recommends treating cyclosporiasis with the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, commonly sold as Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim, over a 10-day course.
As investigators continue searching for the source of the outbreak, some Taco Bell restaurants have temporarily removed fresh ingredients from their menus as a precaution.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
Locations, including some in Metro Detroit, posted notices telling customers they were temporarily unable to serve lettuce, cilantro, onions, pico de gallo and guacamole because of a nationwide recall while health officials respond to the increase in cyclosporiasis cases.
Restaurants in outbreak hot spots, including Michigan and Ohio, have also pulled raw lettuce, onions, cilantro-onion mix, pico de gallo and guacamole from their menus.
However, neither the CDC nor the Food and Drug Administration has linked Taco Bell to any reported illnesses.
If you visit Disneyland with any frequency, a discount from the usual price of more than $100 a day would feel like a blessing.
However, almost as soon as Disney recently offered a rare chance to purchase limited evening passes to its two Southern California parks at about half of the regular cost, the online speculation among Disney enthusiasts behind the company’s strategy spiked. It was no surprise that the lower-priced tickets sold out in about a week.
Some fans referred to the five-hour ticket as a “recession” indicator on social media or as a way to “capture random stragglers.”
Others believed the ticket offered fireworks enthusiasts an opportunity to catch a nighttime spectacular, while one person said the pass allowed visitors to partake in other Southern California activities before finishing their evening at Disneyland.
Buyers of the pass are first set to attend the parks this Sunday, with dates extending until August.
Disneyland officials brush off the speculation, saying the ticket sale is business as usual. Fortunately for us, industry insider Dennis Speigel offered some analysis behind the move.
Let’s jump into the offer and his thoughts on the deal.
All about the ticket
Late last month, Disneyland offered a one-park evening pass for $59 to Disneyland or California Adventure. The ticket is good from Sundays to Wednesdays, starting this Sunday until Aug. 5.
California Adventure would allow evening patrons in at 5 p.m. until closing at 10 p.m. and Disneyland at 7 p.m. until closing at midnight.
A park reservation was still required for evening passes.
The tickets became available June 30 and sold out by July 6, according to a Disneyland spokesperson. Disneyland officials declined to say how many tickets were sold.
What’s Disneyland’s rationale?
The ticket offering is not all that rare.
Similar opportunities began as far back as 1957 with Disneyland date nights admission running from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m, a park spokesperson said.
“Our goal is to provide guests with a variety of limited-time ticket offers throughout the year — this being just one example of that,” a Disneyland spokesperson said.
Softer than a dole whip
Speigel, founder and chief executive of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services, Inc., a theme park consulting firm, said theme parks, ranging from small, regional locales to international destinations are struggling with a “softness” in admission demand that began in April but became more acute in June.
That slump at Disney and Universal Studios properties nationwide, Speigel said in a call with The Times, is due to three primary factors: the economy, weather and the Iranian War.
“There’s a nervousness from visitors, a lack of understanding of what to expect because of the war and economy,” he said. “We saw something like that last year driven by tariffs with soaring gas prices, and we monitored how people started moving back on their spending.”
Visitors still want deals
To counter that softness, Disney is turning to discounts, hoping to kindle interest, Speigel speculated.
“They understand their guests are in a crucible, and this drives the decision to discount,” he said. “People still want their escapes; that doesn’t go down. They just want to pay less to escape.”
Disney’s evening pass is also a shrewd offer because it aims to attract another type of guest: budget-minded locals who might be enticed by $59, Speigel said.
“It’s a smart attempt on Disney’s part,” Speigel said. “It moves in the local people who aren’t the season pass holders or tourists, and it fills the park. That’s what parks are looking to do right now.”
The week’s biggest stories
(Etienne Laurent / For the Times)
Boyle Heights fire
Two graduation traumas
Beach takeovers
Science and technology
What else is going on
Must-reads
Other meaty reads
For your downtime
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Going out
Staying in
L.A. Timeless
A selection of the very best reads from The Times’ 143-year archive.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Hailey Branson-Potts, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KABC) — An Amber Alert was issued Friday by the California Highway Patrol for a 3-year-old child out of California City believed to be in imminent danger.
Emaria Peel, 3, was last seen Friday at about 7:17 p.m. in the area of Redwood Boulevard and 83rd Street in California City, according to police.
Authorities believe 31-year-old Charnay Mclin took Emaria. Investigators have not yet said what relationship, if any, Mclin has to the child.
The suspect was described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall, 185 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
The child was described as being 1 foot 6 inches, 20 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Police believe they’re traveling in a gold-colored 2021 Kia Sorento with the California license plate: 36095DV
Mclin is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities wants anyone who sees them to call 911.
No further details were immediately known.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
-
Arizona1 minute agoCardinals Mailbag: Latest on Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck, and Arizona’s QB Future
-
Arkansas8 minutes agoArkansas tips its hat to blues pioneer Larry “Totsie” Davis in England dedication
-
California11 minutes ago‘Explosive diarrhea’ parasite surfaces in California as health officials fear statewide surge
-
Colorado16 minutes agoThis Quiet Colorado Town Is An Underrated Gem For Nature Lovers
-
Connecticut23 minutes agoCar catches fire in Trumbull
-
Delaware26 minutes agoPower outage number tops 13,000 in Delaware County as storm hits
-
Florida31 minutes agoFlorida top-ranked signee selected in Round 4 of MLB draft
-
Georgia38 minutes ago3 Georgia baseball players taken in MLB Draft opening day
