Warning of "a grave risk" to elected officials, the California Legislature's legal arm has asked the blog platform WordPress to take down a post listing the addresses of lawmakers who supported gun control legislation.
Gov. Jerry Brown on July 1 signed several gun control measures, fortifying California's already strong gun restrictions over the objections of those who saw the bills eroding Second Amendment rights. Among other things, the new laws will require background checks to purchase ammunition, broaden the definition of illegal assault weapons, outlaw possession of high-capacity magazines and limit gun lending.
Four days after Brown signed the laws, a conservative blog on California issues posted what the anonymous author called the home addresses of 40 legislators. Repeatedly referring to lawmakers who supported the bills as tyrants, the post on the WordPress-hosted blog vows to keep the names up until lawmakers vote to repeal the laws or die.
In a letter to WordPress dated July 8, the Office of Legislative Counsel demanded that the post be removed. The letter, obtained by The Sacramento Bee on Saturday, cites a section of government code barring the posting of an elected official's personal information, warning that allowing the post to remain up "presents a grave risk to the safety of these elected officials."
"The Senators and Assembly members whose home addresses are listed on this Web site fear that the public display of their addresses on the Internet will subject them to threats and acts of violence at their homes," the letter reads.
The blog post's author, the Office of Legislative Counsel and WordPress did not immediately respond to request for comments Saturday.
Source: State lawyer wants legislators' addresses removed from pro-gun blog
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