More concealed weapons likely in California

California is a step closer to allowing just about anyone who can legally own a gun to carry a concealed weapon. That’s because a federal judge has refused to allow State Attorney General Kamela Harris and anti-gun activists to challenge a court ruling from earlier this year that affirmed that right.

The concealed weapon case comes from San Diego – but it will have implications up and down the state. If it stands, California gun owners would have to do little more than declare that they wish to carry a gun for self defense to be given a concealed weapon permit. Right now, the state gives local police agencies leeway to set their own policies for the permits.

Earlier this year, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a gun-rights group that challenged the San Diego Sheriff’s tough guidelines for concealed weapon permits. The Sheriff’s Department chose not to appeal, but California Attorney General Kamela Harris and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence tried to intervene. Those efforts were halted yesterday by the appeals court, which said it was too late for them to join the case.

Harris’s office tells the San Jose Mercury News that it’s reviewing the decision. The Brady Center says it’s considering its legal options – including appealing the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.