CA: Financial Backing For Newsom’s Ballot Initiative Reaches Alarming Proportions

posted on July 14, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Despite California’s passage of strict anti-gun laws late last month, fundraising efforts continue for Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s so-called “Safety For All” ballot initiative. Officially known as Prop. 63, it would end grandfathering of magazines capable of holding over 10 rounds, set strict rules for reporting lost/stolen guns, and mandate background checks for all ammunition sales. 

According to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, these efforts have been enormously successful—as of July 11, Newsom had raised over $3.5 million in support of the initiative. The California Democratic Party and Newsom’s gubernatorial campaign have both given large non-monetary contributions, while real-estate broker George Marcus and Hyatt Hotels heir Nicholas Pritzker each contributed a quarter-million dollars. Numerous (relatively) smaller donations came out of Hollywood, from actress Amanda Peet, writer (and wife of “Game of Thrones’” Executive Producer D.B. Weiss) Andrea Troy, “Game of Thrones” producer David Benioff and others. 

Unfortunately, this total not only dwarfs that of many of the other ballot proposals, it also represents 12 times the amount raised by the pro-Second Amendment opposition.

Latest

10 Lies About Guns And Crime The Trump Administration Has Exposed
10 Lies About Guns And Crime The Trump Administration Has Exposed

Dispelling Anti-Gun Disinformation | Here Are 10 Lies About Guns And Crime The Trump Administration Has Exposed

Crime is a major problem in the United States, 66% of Americans believe, with 81% saying it is a major problem in large cities, according to an August 2025 poll by the Associated Press/NORC [previously the National Opinion Research Center].

The Greatest Second Amendment Victory in a Century

On July 4, 2025, Americans celebrated not only our nation’s independence, but also the restoration of our constitutional Second Amendment rights becoming unconstrained by burdensome and arbitrary fees.

Opening Salvo | More Evidence That Gun-Control Groups are Freaking Out

With the Trump administration’s law-and-order push showing America’s crime problem is clearly not the fault of lawfully armed citizens, gun-control groups are freaking out.

John Rich has a Song for Armed Citizens

John Rich's latest song is "The Righteous Hunter." It is a moving tune about standing up to stop those with evil intentions. It is a song for lawfully armed citizens.

This Department of Education Grant Could Change Things

The University of Wyoming’s Firearms Research Center has been awarded a nearly $1 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education to develop a nationwide program on the origins, meaning and implications of the Second Amendment.

From the Editor | Charlie Kirk Lived for Freedom

“Give me liberty, or give me death,” are the immortal words of Patrick Henry spoken on March 23, 1775, to the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond, Va. His impassioned words were a call to arms against British tyranny.  

Interests



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.