The Mulford Act was a 1967

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

bill that prohibited public carrying of loaded firearms without a permit. Named after Republican assemblyman Don Mulford and signed into law by governor of California

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

, the bill was crafted with the goal of disarming members of the

Black Panther Party The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newto ...

, which was conducting armed patrols of Oakland neighborhoods in what would later be termed ''copwatching''. They garnered national attention after Black Panthers members, bearing arms, marched upon the California State Capitol to protest the bill. Assembly Bill 1591 was introduced by Don Mulford (R) from Oakland on April 5, 1967, and subsequently co-sponsored by John T. Knox (D) from Richmond, Walter J. Karabian (D) from Monterey Park, Frank Murphy Jr. (R) from Santa Cruz, Alan Sieroty (D) from Los Angeles, and William M. Ketchum (R) from Bakersfield. A.B 1591 was made an "urgency statute" under Article IV, §8(d) of the Constitution of California after "an organized band of men armed with loaded firearms ..entered the Capitol" on May 2, 1967; as such, it required a two-thirds majority in each house. On June 8, after the third reading in the Assembly (controlled by Democrats, 42:38), the urgency clause was adopted, and the bill was then passed 70 to 5. It passed the Senate (split, 20:19) on July 26, 29 votes to 7, and was passed back to the assembly on July 27, 1967 for a final vote, where it passed 62 to 9. The bill was signed by Governor

on July 28, 1967. Both Republicans and Democrats in California supported increased gun control, as did the National Rifle Association of America. Governor Ronald Reagan, who was coincidentally present on the Capitol lawn when the protesters arrived, later commented that he saw "no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons" and that guns were a "ridiculous way to solve problems that have to be solved among people of good will." In a later press conference, Reagan added that the Mulford Act "would work no hardship on the honest citizen." The bill was signed by Reagan and became California penal code nr.25850 and nr.171c.Penal code 171c
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California State Assembly

Composition

Final Vote

Members and Voting Record

California State Senate

Composition

Composition is at the time of voting. McAteer (D) died in office in May 1967.

Final Vote

California State Assembly

Composition

Final Vote

Members and Voting Record

California State Senate

Composition

Final Vote

Members and Voting Record

See also

References

Further reading