That’s the word from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which granted a stay on Monday in the case involving District Judge Roger T. Benitez’s decision against the state.
On Jan. 30, Benitez granted a permanent injunction against the ammo controls in Rhodes v. Bonta. He concluded that the background checks law ran afoul of the Constitution’s guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms.
But in a 2-1 ruling, the Ninth Circuit put that action on hold.
Anti-gun California lawmakers requested the Ninth Circuit step in after last month’s ruling and permit the restrictions to remain in place during its appeal.
Without a shred of evidence to back up his claim, California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the ruling will enable “life-saving ammunition laws” to remain in effect.
Among the plaintiffs standing up against the state’s latest overreach into gun control was three-time Olympic gold medalist Kim Rhode. She is the preeminent female Olympic athlete in shooting competitions.
Joining her effort was the California Rifle & Pistol Association. President and general counsel Chuck Michel released a statement affirming the group will seek another review through a different court panel. He declared the fight will continue to “restore the people’s right to buy the ammunition they need for sport or to defend their families.”
The Second Amendment rights organization further noted that it was simply “the Ninth Circuit doing Ninth Circuit things.”
Voters in the Golden State eight years ago approved a ballot measure mandating that purchasers of ammunition undergo an initial background check. They must also pay a $50 fee for a four-year permit to buy ammo.
California lawmakers later amended the statute to require a background check for each ammunition purchase.
