(CALMATTERS) – Here are some eye-opening numbers to start your morning: Over the last decade, Orange County issued 65,171 permits to carry a concealed handgun and both Fresno and Sacramento counties issued more than 45,000 — while San Francisco issued just 11, CalMatters’ Ben Christopher reports. Those massive gaps — revealed in an online database the California Department of Justice published Monday — are likely to narrow following last week’s U.S. Supreme Court opinion striking down a concealed carry law in New York state. On Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers advanced a bill to bring California’s concealed carry law into compliance with the ruling — while simultaneously creating a new statewide application process that explicitly disqualifies certain people seeking permits, Ben reports.
Meanwhile, the new concealed-carry database was removed Tuesday after reporters discovered it included the full legal names, home addresses and other personal information of more than 200,000 permit holders across the state — raising numerous legal, ethical and safety concerns, Ben writes.
- Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle & Pistol Association: “You basically advertise to criminals: ‘There’s a gun; here, come take it.’”
- Attorney General Rob Bonta’s press office: “Any unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable. We are working swiftly to address this situation and will provide additional information as soon as possible.”
Also unavailable online Tuesday was a new report on California hate crime data in 2021. According to a press release from Bonta’s office, residents reported 1,763 bias events in 2021 — a nearly 33% increase from the year before and the highest total since the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001. Anti-Black hate crimes were the most numerous, with a total of 513 reported incidents. Meanwhile, hate crimes against Asian Americans rose by a whopping 178% to 247 incidents, and those motivated by a bias against sexual orientation increased 48% to 303 incidents. Anti-Jewish bias events saw a 32% uptick to 152 incidents.