Assembly Hearing SB 274

CJ Buck · Jun 5, 2001

The California Assembly Committee on Public Safety has changed the hearing date to June 19th at 9am.

Let me explain this process a little. The author of the bill gets up in front of this panel, the committee, and reads a statement that summarizes the bill. I will be seated at a table with anyone else who has registered support or opposition to the bill. Then when the summary is concluded we get a chance to quickly share our thoughts or additions. Finally the committee members get a chance to ask us questions.

I just got off a conference call with the Assistant DA who questioned the original exemption and co-authored the bill with us, and Chris Michele, our lobbyist in Sacramento.

We reviewed the feedback from the forum and a conversation that the DA had with Jim March.

There is no way we can mount a "legalize switchblades" campaign with the time we have. We discussed what we can do. We can alter the description that is read to the committee before the vote. This will help establish the "intent" of this legislation.

As for the legalization of switchblades. I so agree with the sentiments shared in these threads and would love to see my business, Buck Knives, freed up to produce what people obviously want. It would be a monumental accomplishment to convince california residents that legalizing switchblades would make them safer with more personal freedom.

The fact that I believe it is true and that we could put information together that would prove it does not make this an easy task. We could spend millions of dollars and still lose the vote.(politicians do this all the time) It would be a 2-3 year campaign. Other then that we would have to hire a professional to manage it cause it would be way over my head.

I will be at blade show and would love to hear from anyone thoughts on the hearing speech.

I will also print any responses here for my reference and share them with Chris and the DA in prep for the hearing.

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CJ Buck
Buck Knives, Inc.
AKTI Member #PR00003

Don Rearic · Jun 5, 2001

Mr. Buck,

We appreciate you fighting for us. Even though I do not live in California, this is dangerous legislation.

I don't think anything short of legitimizing all pocketknives will result in a degree of Protection from these people.

Can you legitimize all pocketknives? I don't know.

I do know that if you go in there with Sacrificial Lambs in the form of knives Law Enforcement and some Manufacturers do not like, the Politicians and those in the "System" will take those Sacrificial Lambs in the form of knives, and they will control them.

It will not effect crime one bit, it never does, and the result will be...

"The laws did not work, we need MORE laws..."

That's always the way it is.

It does not matter if the instrument is a firearm, a knife or a Martial Arts Weapon, nothing is ever enough...nothing...

They're control freaks...but they always make exemptions for those that enforce their laws. The New Centurions.

Print this out and hand it to them.

Thanks again, and have a nice day.

Dennis Wright · Jun 6, 2001

Thanks for the walkthrough, CJ. It's good to get an overview of the process.

It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of AKTI but, as a dealer, I can understand where you are coming from and respect your position.

While I have little use for any switchblade as a general carry knife, I have seen many high end handmade autos that are absolute works of art and would love to be able to trade in them so I, too, would like to see 653k go away. It may happen some day but not anytime soon, I believe and, even if it did, we would still have the federal law to contend with.

As far as AKTI's position on this particular bill, I, personally, would have liked to have seen vigorous opposition to any change in 653k, rather than complicity and appeasement in it's alteration. I suppose, though, that you folks were in a better position to evaluate the chances of defeating the bill than any of us and I'm sure your actions were in the best interests of the industry.

The only suggestion that I can come up with regarding the bill is to try and get them to put into the law a reasonable definition of the term "flip of the wrist."

I know it may sound insignificant but I have seen police officers take knives like the 110 and some others and violently snap their wrists several times until the blade flys open. They then declare the knife a "switchblade" and confiscate it. This has happened more than once, usually when an officer needs a new knife.

If the action was defined in reasonable terms it might make life easier for all of us and somewhat mitigate the effects of the new law.

If left up to DOJ to define the term, we will have an ambiguous definition that can be changed at their discretion so it needs to be codified in the law.

Thanks for your efforts and the time you have taken to explain the process.

As one of the largest Buck Knives dealers in the San Diego area, I can appreciate the endeavors on our behalf even though I don't necessarily support AKTI and it's programs.

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Dennis Wright
Wright Knife & Sporting Goods
La Mesa, CA
1-800-400-1980
wrightknife@ixpres.com
("Have a knife day!")
www.wrightknife.com

Don Rearic · Jun 6, 2001

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Dennis Wright:
I know it may sound insignificant but I have seen police officers take knives like the 110 and some others and violently snap their wrists several times until the blade flys open. They then declare the knife a "switchblade" and confiscate it. This has happened more than once, usually when an officer needs a new knife.</font>

And that is a reality, that's a truth that people dare not speak of for fear of offending those in Law Enforcement or for fear of being labeled, "Anti-Cop."

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Usual Suspect
Ipsa scientia potestas est aut disce aut discede
Some of my Knives and other neat things

SDouglas · Jun 6, 2001

I would encourage the AKTI to try to get the District Attorneys and Legislators to agree to state for the record that the One Hand Exemption applies to knives DESIGNED by the Manufacturer with a detent or Closed Bias that must be overcome in order to open it.

I realize that this may not seem like enough protection of our rights for some but it is definitely easier to argue Design Objectively in court than it is to argue how much force is needed to Flick the Blade Open. It is also a statement that the District Attorneys and Law Enforcement Represntatives should be comfortable supporting.

We all realize that almost every knife can be opened with a flick with enough practice and force.

As to those who feel that AKTI should not have compromised with the District Attorney's Association on this legislation, I respectfully disagree.

AKTI must not fall into the trap that the NRA has fallen into. I believe that the large silent majority have rejected both the NRA and HCI as unreasonable. They understand that Outlawing Guns will not stop crime but they do believe that there should be some reasonable limits on Gun Ownership at least as stringent as driving a car.

If AKTI takes the position that some have advocated that NO Restriction on Knives is acceptable it will quickly be disregarded as extremist and easily ignored.

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AKTI Member No. A000370

Don Rearic · Jun 6, 2001

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by SDouglas:
If AKTI takes the position that some have advocated that NO Restriction on Knives is acceptable it will quickly be disregarded as extremist and easily ignored.</font>

There should be no restrictions on any knife whatsoever, the person using that knife in an illegal, criminal manner on an innocent person should be dealt with severely.

If that is "extreme" or "unreasonable," then logic, Justice and fairness are now extremist beliefs firmly in the hands of unreasonable Citizens.

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Usual Suspect
Ipsa scientia potestas est aut disce aut discede
Some of my Knives and other neat things

Roj Avon · Jun 6, 2001

I'm disappointed in the compromise because its resulted in a useless law that can only mean bad things for knife owners.

One of the stated purposes of this law was to somehow protect LEO's from catching a flicked out blade in the gut. I don't see how that is going to happen. Once they realize that this "exemption" still leaves many, many models of lightning fast one handed folders they will be back with a new law.

The compromise is frustrating because there is no real give and take here. We do all the giving as knife owners and citizens and they do all the taking. All that has been accomplished from a knife owner point of view is that a group of representatives got down on thier knees and begged not to have all our rights taken away at once.

So now there is this law that takes away a little more of our freedom but not so much as they really wanted and we are supposed to feel good about it?

This law change has been kicking around for over a year according to the post history on this topic. With a year to research and fight its just really hard to understand why the current wording and structure of the bill was the best the AKTI could do.

Maybe it was all that we could hope for but the resulting death by inches of knife ownership freedom leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

CJ Buck · Jun 6, 2001

Thanks for the posts. I printed this and am out the door to catch my plane for Atlanta and the blade show. I will check for any additional posts upon my return and will either summarize or forward this thread to our lobbiest and the assitant da in question for review before our committee hearing.

AKTI has a board meeting tomorrow morning in Atlanta and then in the afternoon our all members meeting.

I'll catch whover at the Blade Show.

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CJ Buck
Buck Knives, Inc.
AKTI Member #PR00003