WASHINGTON FOR SUPERVISOR 2020 – 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS
Many District 4 residents have written directly to Candidate Desiree T. Washington for her views on 2nd Amendment rights. While the Board of Supervisors does not legislate at the federal level, and California's constitution is silent on gun rights, the Board of Supervisors does have the ability to file lawsuits or amicus curiae briefs on behalf of its residents, as many California counties and cities have done with respect to other matters of great import to constituents. To that end, Desiree's position regarding gun rights is as follows:
Desiree T. Washington agrees with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in District of Columbia v Heller (2008) and McDonald v Chicago (2010), cases affirming:
(a) that the Second Amendment applies to all states within the Union, and
(b) that the 2nd Amendment affords individuals the ancient and fundamental right to bear arms to protect their homes and themselves personally.
Desiree supports regulation which reasonably and rationally protects the public from individuals who might harm themselves or others due to mental illness, age or one’s history of violence. However, Desiree believes California's gun laws may be overly-restrictive.Therefore, she generally applauds many of the challenges to these laws as necessary to ensure California complies with Federal law.