Texas state Sen. Bryan Hughes, author of the controversial new abortion ban, has a message for California Gov. Gavin Newsom's bid to use his framework to create a gun control law: 'Good luck with that.'
The Texas law, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected around 6 weeks, places enforcement into the hands of the public, a move that was designed to foil any legal challenges.
The Golden State governor wants to use that framework to allow private citizens in California to enforce a ban on the manufacture and sale of AR-15 weapons. Newsom said he was motivated by a Friday Supreme Court ruling that left the Texas law in place, but allowed abortion providers' lawsuits to move forward in lower court.
'I would tell Gov. Newsom good luck with that,' Hughes told the Houston Chronicle on Monday.
'If California takes that route, they'll find that California gun owners will violate the law knowing that they'll be sued and knowing that the Supreme Court has their back because the right to keep and bear arms is clearly in the Constitution, and the courts have clearly and consistently upheld it.'
California has banned the manufacture and sale of many assault-style weapons for decades. A federal judge overturned that ban in June, ruling it was unconstitutional, but the ban remained in place while the state appealed the decision.
'SCOTUS is letting private citizens in Texas sue to stop abortion?! If that's the precedent then we'll let Californians sue those who put ghost guns and assault weapons on our streets,' the liberal governor wrote on Twitter. 'If TX can ban abortion and endanger lives, CA can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives.'
He said in a statement he had directed the state legislature and attorney general to draft a bill allowing private citizens to seek injunctive relief of at least $10,000 per violation plus costs and attorney fees when they sue anyone who manufactures, distributes or sells an 'assault weapon' or ghost gun kit in California.
Hughes argues that the difference is that the Constitution expressly contains a right to bear arms, but makes no mention of abortion.
Texas state Sen. Bryan Hughes, author of the controversial new abortion ban, has a message for California Gov. Gavin Newsom's bid to use his framework to create a gun control law: 'Good luck
