California Senator Targets Banks That “Do Business With Firearms Manufacturers”

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA — A bill introduced by California State Senator Dave Min would ban banks which “do business with gun manufacturers from doing business with the state of California.”

The bill, SB 637, reads in its entirety:

It is the intent of the Legislature to subsequently amend this measure to include provisions that would prohibit financial institutions that do business with firearms manufacturers from doing business with the state of California.

SB 637

Min was unambiguous concerning his feelings on the matter.

“SB 637 will force Wall Street to make a choice between the blood money offered by the gun industry and doing business with the state of California, sending a clear message and more importantly a strong market signal that the state of California will not, either directly or indirectly, finance gun violence,” he said in a statement according to The San Bernadino Sun.

The bill is not without its detractors. The NRA Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) called the bill “end-stage gun control that doesn’t even attempt to distinguish between the bad actors and the law-abiding and simply seeks to suppress firearm-related activity as such.

“The point of the bill…is nothing less than to end firearm-related commerce in the Golden State.”

The NRA-ILA isn’t known for pulling its punches, but in this case, they really have a point — Min’s very clearly and very consciously ignoring the difference between proponents of responsible firearms ownership and those who would use firearms for irresponsible and/or malevolent purposes.

The editorial board at The Sun also spoke out against the bill, and Min’s posturing in general, terming the statement referenced above as “hysterical rhetoric [that] is not a serious response to the very real and serious problem of gun violence in California across the country.

“For one, it calls on banks to discriminate against lawful businesses simply because some politicians in government don’t like the sort of products being sold. That is an improper use of government power.”

They said this is a “hollow political stunt” which would work harder to promote his upcoming run at a congressional seat than would help accomplish any meaningful objective in the fight against gun violence.

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