SAN DIEGO (KGTV)- State Assemblyman Todd Gloria Friday announced the proposal of new state legislation that would ban the sale of guns and ammunition at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Gloria, D-San Diego, said the bill he introduced, Assembly Bill 893, would make it a misdemeanor to sell firearms and ammunition at the state-operated Del Mar Fairgrounds starting in 2021.
“I believe it is wrong for the state of California to profit and benefit for the sale of guns and ammunition,” Gloria said at a news conference Friday.
Del Mar City Councilman Dwight Worden stood next to Gloria in support at the press conference. He told 10News the fairgrounds should be used for fair-related events, not the promotion of guns.
“I mean, they could go rent a sports arena and have their gun shows there,” said Worden.
A lawsuit was recently filed by the company that puts on the Crossroads of the West gun show and several other groups.
The lawsuit, which was filed against the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors, challenges the board's September vote that put a temporary ban on gun shows on the state property until the issue was studied more and some policies were possibly revised.
The Crossroads of the West show operators, who have held the gun show for about 30 years, said the Del Mar Fairgrounds violated the group's First Amendment rights and that irrational policies and dubious conclusions led to the moratorium on gun shows and loss of income.
They said the shows pose no threat to the public.
NeverAgainCA.org disagree, however. The group pushed for more than a year to get gun shows off of state property, saying state-owned property should not be used for the profit and sale of guns and ammunition.
The group’s concern is the shows glorify guns to a large audience at a time where mass shootings continue to be an issue in the U.S.
The group also attended the press conference Friday.
The bill is still in the early review stages but could be on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk by fall.
The last Crossroads of the West gun show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds was held Dec. 8 and 9 of 2018.
