This archive report was first published on 12 December 2021.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for a law that would allow citizens to sue gun manufacturers and sellers, mirroring the Texas abortion law that allows private citizens to sue abortion providers.
Newsom, a Democrat, tweeted on Saturday, 'If TX can ban abortion and endanger lives, CA can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives.' He instructed his staff to work with California's Legislature and attorney general to write a bill that would let citizens sue anyone who manufactures, distributes, or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kit or parts in California.
The proposed law would award damages of at least $10,000 per violation, plus costs and attorney's fees. Newsom said, 'If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that.'
Newsom's response seemed to position California opposite Texas in the divisive battles over abortion rights and gun control, and to position him personally on a national front in the culture wars.
On Friday, the Supreme Court let stand Texas' ban on most abortions, which allows private citizens to sue anyone who 'aids or abets' an abortion performed after a fetal heartbeat can be detected.
