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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California's attorney general wants to crack down on gun violence by laser-branding all handgun bullets sold in the state with tiny identification numbers nearly invisible to the naked eye.
The controversial proposal could open the way for the next major debate over gun control in California, a state that already has some of the toughest such laws in the United States.
Attorney General Bill Lockyer is expected to discuss his proposal at a meeting on gun crime on Thursday with Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn and a citizens group, an aide said on Wednesday.
Under the plan, all ammunition sold in California would have a serial number etched by laser on the bullet and casing. Bullets without such micro-markings, including those from outside the state, would be barred by law, with some exceptions for sport shooters who make their own ammunition.
No other U.S. state requires microscopic identification numbers to be etched on bullets, although similar technology is used to brand airplane and auto parts, backers of the proposal said.
"We think this is a very valid idea that could solve crimes quickly," said Hallye Jordan, a spokeswoman for Lockyer, one of the state's leading Democrats.
"It's something that the cops going to a crime scene involving shooting victims, once they recover the spent cartridge or bullets they can look at it right there," she said. "We have a database where they can put the number right in and then drive to the person's house whose bullets they were."
Paul Curry, a lobbyist for Ammunition Coding System, a Washington-state based firm that developed the bullet etching system, said the requirement would add about 1 cent to the cost of each bullet sold.
Ammunition manufacturers have so far resisted the technology, but he predicted that they would "race to see who can be first to market" if California mandated them to license ACS' technology.
Political consultant Chris Lehane said Democrats who control California's legislature would likely be receptive to the proposal when they resume session in January. "I think given the politics of the state it makes a lot of sense," Lehane said.
Gun rights advocates pledged to fight the proposal, saying it would be easy for gang members and criminals to find unmarked ammunition and create a costly state bureaucracy.
California's Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger angered gun-rights advocates when he signed a bill last month banning the powerful .50 caliber rifles used by military snipers.
A spokesman for governor could not be immediately reached for comment on Lockyer's proposal.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California's attorney general wants to crack down on gun violence by laser-branding all handgun bullets sold in the state with tiny identification numbers nearly invisible to the naked eye.
The controversial proposal could open the way for the next major debate over gun control in California, a state that already has some of the toughest such laws in the United States.
Attorney General Bill Lockyer is expected to discuss his proposal at a meeting on gun crime on Thursday with Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn and a citizens group, an aide said on Wednesday.
Under the plan, all ammunition sold in California would have a serial number etched by laser on the bullet and casing. Bullets without such micro-markings, including those from outside the state, would be barred by law, with some exceptions for sport shooters who make their own ammunition.
No other U.S. state requires microscopic identification numbers to be etched on bullets, although similar technology is used to brand airplane and auto parts, backers of the proposal said.
"We think this is a very valid idea that could solve crimes quickly," said Hallye Jordan, a spokeswoman for Lockyer, one of the state's leading Democrats.
"It's something that the cops going to a crime scene involving shooting victims, once they recover the spent cartridge or bullets they can look at it right there," she said. "We have a database where they can put the number right in and then drive to the person's house whose bullets they were."
Paul Curry, a lobbyist for Ammunition Coding System, a Washington-state based firm that developed the bullet etching system, said the requirement would add about 1 cent to the cost of each bullet sold.
Ammunition manufacturers have so far resisted the technology, but he predicted that they would "race to see who can be first to market" if California mandated them to license ACS' technology.
Political consultant Chris Lehane said Democrats who control California's legislature would likely be receptive to the proposal when they resume session in January. "I think given the politics of the state it makes a lot of sense," Lehane said.
Gun rights advocates pledged to fight the proposal, saying it would be easy for gang members and criminals to find unmarked ammunition and create a costly state bureaucracy.
California's Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger angered gun-rights advocates when he signed a bill last month banning the powerful .50 caliber rifles used by military snipers.
A spokesman for governor could not be immediately reached for comment on Lockyer's proposal.
