SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Assemblymember Lori Saldana is getting threats and being confronted by armed protesters over her latest legislation, which would ban guns in public.

"Do you think you've become a target since you proposed this legislation?" asked 10News reporter Mitch Blacher.

"It's become very personal for some people," answered Saldana.

Nowhere was that clearer than a public event outside San Francisco. Saldana was there to debate the state's Open Carry Law. The issue has attracted advocates who want to continue wearing an unloaded gun on one hip and ammunition on the other.

At the debate, a gun advocate claimed to have driven five hundred miles from San Diego to attend. On his blog, he admitted he had a loaded weapon in a backpack but got rid of it before entering the meeting.

"Since I had a loaded magazine in my backpack, I went to my car and put it away," the man wrote.

He recorded what happened when officers questioned him about the backpack:

"’So if you do have a firearm inside that backpack, you can't come in whether you paid or not,’" said an officer.

"’Ok, but I'm not required to answer and you're not allowed to search me so I'd like to enter,’" said the advocate. "’Sir, I've driven a very long way to see this debate so if you wouldn't mind I'd like to be on my way.’"

Advocates such as the blogger have forced Saldana to be publicly surrounded by the very thing she hoped to eliminate in public: guns. Saldana travels with security.

"It reflects poorly on all the responsible gun owners when someone takes it to the extreme like this," said Saldana.

Officials in Sacramento are investigating several threats left on Saldana's office phone and others received through the mail.

"Does it ever make you wish you hadn't proposed this legislation?" asked Blacher.

"Well then I talk to the families who have lost a loved one to gun violence," said Saldana.

Her proposed bill would make it illegal to carry an unloaded, unconcealed gun in public. It still has to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor to become law.

"I'm looking at the safety and welfare of a lot of people in my district and around the state of California," said Saldana.

Most people who think Californians should be able to openly carry guns use non-violent protests to make their point.

"If in fact these people are all sincere, they're saying we are all responsible people who want to carry guns then there should be nothing to be afraid of," said Saldana.

She said the threats mainly come from people who hide behind a computer.

10News did find one blogger who wrote, "What she's trying to imply is that those 'crazy right wingers' are out to get her. Of course they aren't."

10News tried to talk with the blogger who was featured in the story, but he did not return the e-mails or phone calls.