Here's a classic case of government overreach that'll make your blood boil.
The city council in Goleta, California just unanimously voted for a 45-day moratorium on new gun stores. They're using that time to cook up permanent zoning restrictions that would treat firearm retailers like some kind of public health hazard.
Why? Because Goodland Guns— operating in that city for over a decade without a single problem— relocated next to a daycare. You know, the same daycares that sit comfortably next to marijuana dispensaries and stores selling alcohol and cigarettes. But heaven forbid a law-abiding FFL operate in the same commercial zone as a preschool.
The doublespeak from these anti-gunners is stunning. California already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Anyone purchasing a firearm has passed multiple background checks and waited ten days to take their property home. But apparently that's not enough for the pearl-clutchers in Goleta.
Here's what really ticks me off: Goodland Guns didn't break any rules. The city approved their relocation because gun stores were a permitted retail use at that location. Now the council wants to change the rules mid-game because a few activists got their feelings hurt.
They're talking about buffer zones from schools, separation requirements, additional security mandates— all targeting one specific legal business that played by every rule.
This is exactly the kind of regulatory harassment that makes it harder for legitimate businesses to serve their communities. If they really wanted to protect kids, they'd focus on actual criminals instead of slapping extra requirements on licensed retailers who are already doing everything by the book.
I'll be keeping an eye on this fight. Every gun shop owner in California should.