At Tuesday’s Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting, Board members essentially tripped over one-another to support funding an additional $1.5 million for the Sheriff to process a backlog of about 1,000 Concealed-Carry Weapons permit applications which have resulted from a recent federal court ruling that loosened the standards for establishing need for a permit.
From Voice of OC:
Orange County Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously endorsed Sheriff Sandra Hutchen’s plan to speed up consideration of permits to carry concealed weapons.
Given a recent decision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Appeals Court that has seemingly struck down a longstanding legal precedent requiring stringent good-cause requirements for a gun permit, Hutchens has moved to aggressively implement a new standard.
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“When we have a backlog, where people are legally entitled to have a consideration because of the lack of for-cause, I do believe it’s incumbent upon us to process those applications in a timely manner,” said County Supervisor Todd Spitzer. “People should not have to wait a year to have their application considered.”
On Tuesday, Supervisor John Moorlach – who first asked about the issue last month – thanked Hutchens for her proactive approach to the issue.
Supervisors’ Chairman Shawn Nelson – who usually protests the use of retired workers – was supportive and told his colleagues that Hutchens already had budgetary authority through the end of the fiscal year in June to speed up consideration of permits.
Read complete article here.
The Appeals Court on Monday issued a stay of the earlier ruling but that did not deter the Board from trying to speed up the approval process in Orange County.
We find it curious that the Board is so quick to endorse the Sheriff’s plan to find the money within her already constrained budget, and approval will power, for the expedited processing of CCW applications while they appear resistant to funding the need to hire additional eligibility technicians to process the significant backlog of eligibility applications for health care coverage for Orange County’s low income residents created by the Affordable Care Act, ObamaCare. There are an estimated 60,000 unverified applications backlogged in the understaffed Social Services Agency that must be approved by the end of March. Currently SSA eligibility workers are working weekends on overtime trying to process the applications, at their current processing rate, it is likely that more than 40,000 applications will be pending review at the end of March.
The message here seems clear, the Orange County Board of Supervisors prioritizes the rapid approval discretionary concealed weapons permits, over meeting the needs of Orange County’s poor seeking health care coverage, that is paid for by the federal government.
Well. at least they’ve got their priorities straight. Right?
(Note: This story, as well as its headline, has been updated to show that the Sheriff found the $1.5 million to support expedited processing within her existing budget.)
Dan- You could always wear a button that says “I do not carry” – or put a sign on your home to that effect.
Dan,
You seem to forget there is a fundamental difference between an enumerated Right and one that isn’t.
Additionally Dan, can you please name any other enumerated Right which requires an individual to pay for the ability to exercise that Right?
Perhaps it is the wisdom of those elected to avoid further court action and expense.