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State Sen. Anthony Portantino, a Burbank Democrat who wrote the bill and several of California’s signature gun control laws, said SB 368 would “put responsibility on these businesses to be better stewards of public health if they’re going to be selling something that potentially is detrimental to public health.”

“We don’t need games of chance to attract new people into the gun world,” Portantino said. “If it’s detrimental to public heath, should we really be giving freebies?”

Linda Bessin, founder of the political action committee Blue Values Burbank who has lobbied against the opening of new gun stores in the area, said banning promotional events would increase public safety and ensure California’s gun laws are closely followed. …

Portantino’s proposal adds to a bundle of bills Democrats have announced in recent weeks to combat gun violence, after a wave of mass shootings in the state killed dozens.

One measure, also by Portantino, would limit who can get a concealed-carry weapon permit in California, while others would ban the sale of body armor often worn by mass shooters, establish an excise tax on ammunition and guns, and require owners to get gun liability insurance.

Their efforts are more than certain to prompt lawsuits by gun rights groups and 2nd Amendment advocates who’ve already warned lawmakers against passing new limitations on access to firearms. Republican lawmakers have argued that California’s strong gun control laws have still failed to prevent mass shootings and other incidents of gun violence, and that the state should instead focus its attention on illegal firearm ownership.

“Once again, Democrats are focused on the wrong problem. The local gun shop throwing in a free box of bird shot when you buy a shotgun isn’t what’s driving California’s crime wave,” said Assemblymember Tom Lackey, a Palmdale Republican and former California Highway Patrol officer. “If we want to get serious about gun crime, we have to get serious about gun criminals.”

— Hannah Wiley in California Bill Would Ban Game-Style Events Like Lotteries and Raffles at Gun Stores