CA LEGISLATURE UNABLE TO GET TOGETHER TO DO SOMETHING STUPID

By Bob Walsh

The Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., where actor Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger on a gun while filming Rust and unwittingly killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza

 

The legislature of the formerly great state of California is collectively convinced that EVERY problem (real or imagined) has a solution and that that solution is to pass another law.

This legislative year there were two proposals to "regulate" the use of firearms in the film and TV entertainment industry.  The proponents of each could not get together with their road-dogs in the legislature and as a result nothing happened (which is IMHO the correct outcome).

The most restrictive legislative proposals would have totally banned the use of "live" firearms for this purpose.  A great many TV productions are already done with "dead" (toy) guns and the noise and muzzle flash are added later.  These are, on close inspection by viewers, obviously fake as, at least with semi-automatic pistols there is no slide movement with most of these guns.  

More narrow legislation, which also got no traction, would require by law that some sort of safety supervisor be present on the set when firearms were present.

My own opinion, for what that may be worth to you, is that the problem is self-correcting.  Nobody wants people killed on the set.  Not even Alec Baldwin.  The insurance people and the trade unions sure as hell don't want that to happen.  I am confident that the industry will develop and apply AND ENFORCE its own standards that will do the job without the need for aggressive and oppressive legislation.