CalWatchdog Morning Read – July 6

• Is Kevin de Leon’s ammo bill legal?
• Does Roger Hernandez have a path to victory in Congress? 
• Lawmaker names her boyfriend Veteran of the Year
• CA sixth largest economy in the world
• Vaccination law challenged 

Democrats in the Legislature pushed through a gun-control measure last week that is almost certain to be challenged in court — where it’ll have a tough time surviving — all for the sake of what some claim is a political grudge.

The Legislature passed 11 bills in all, six of which were signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown and the rest vetoed. But one is fraught with peril as it circumvents the Elections Code by amending a November ballot initiative regulating ammo sales. 

The difference between how the bill, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, and the ballot measure, sponsored by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, regulate ammo sales is not substantial. But Democrats have had a hard time providing legal justification for going around Section 9034 (c) in the Elections Code, which says the Legislature does not have the authority to “alter the initiative measure… .”

CalWatchdog has more.

In other news:

• Now that he’s been stripped of his committee assignments and been slapped with a three-year restraining order against his estranged wife, is there a path to victory for Assemblyman Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina, in his run for Congress? The Sacramento Bee has more. 
• San Diego Republicans are critical of a Democratic state lawmaker awarding a Veteran of the Year honor to her boyfriend, reports The Sacramento Bee. Must be something in the water in Sacramento, as another lawmaker in May gave a Small Business of the Year award to her brother’s new political strategy firm.
• California was the sixth largest economy in the world last year in terms of GDP, according to World Bank data. The San Jose Mercury News has more. 
• A non-profit group is challenging California’s vaccination law, which went into effect last week. The Orange County Register has more.