Are These Not “Job Killers,” Too?

An Open Letter to the California Chamber of Commerce

The California Chamber of Commerce lists 20 bills it identifies as “job killers,” and recommends they be opposed.

Why is there no mention of Senate Bill 357, requiring serial numbers on handgun ammunition, and Assembly Bill 352, requiring handguns to micro-imprint firearm-identifying data to shell casings?

The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, which establishes industry technical standards for the nation's leading manufacturers of sporting firearms, ammunition and components, has issued position papers opposing both of these bills, citing among other concerns:

SB357:

“Even if it took just a fraction of a second to laser engrave a bullet with a serial number, ammunition production would be slowed down dramatically. SAAMI estimates that it would take as much as three weeks to make what is now manufactured in a single day! No manufacturer can withstand such a massive slow-done in production. They would cease to be profitable. Instead manufacturers would have no alternative but to abandon the California market. This is because the tens of millions of dollars needed to comply with SB 357 far exceeds the reasonable profit a manufacturer could ever hope to make selling ammunition in the California market. The cost to comply would bankrupt any manufacturer that tried. Even abandoning the California market comes at a cost. Manufacturers will suffer lost sales and profits; but the lesser of two evils remains to abandon the market.”

AB352:

“Dramatic Price Increases and Reduction in Supply. Compelling the use of this unproven and untested technology will dramatically reduce the product selection available to law abiding consumers in California, because some manufacturers will choose to abandon the California market rather than incur the massive costs associated with complying, which include purchasing very expensive equipment and patented technology...and completely redesigning their manufacturing processes, plant and equipment...Clearly, any attempt to comply with the requirements of this bill would force a radical and complete redesign of time-tested, finely tuned and efficient manufacturing processes. It would cost millions of dollars to do this.”

Will you add these bills to your list of “job killers” and publicly oppose them, encouraging your members to do the same?

If “yes,” what will you do to inform your members, the media and those in government whom you lobby?

If “no,” why not?

Sincerely,
David Codrea
The War on Guns