California State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio blasted legislative Democrats after they voted to kill Assembly Bill 256, a common-sense public safety measure designed to bring transparency to gun-related crimes—all to protect what Democrats openly described as the “privacy rights” of violent criminals.
“Democrats are not interested in saving lives — they are interested in protecting criminals,” DeMaio said. “They chose the privacy rights of murderers over the safety of the public and the rights of law-abiding Californians.”
AB 256 focused on one missing piece in California’s gun violence debate: information.
The bill required toxicology testing when a criminal commits a gun-related felony, ensuring prosecutors complete toxicology reports so the public can learn whether illegal drugs or pharmaceutical substances played a role in violent acts. It also created a narrow sentencing enhancement solely to ensure that data is collected — not to expand gun control or restrict the Second Amendment.
“This bill wasn’t about what’s in someone’s hands,” DeMaio said. “It was about what’s in their system — and whether drugs or chemicals are contributing to these horrific crimes.”
During committee testimony, Democrat lawmakers and their allies openly argued that conducting toxicology tests would violate the privacy rights of criminals — even in cases involving deadly gun violence.
“That argument is outrageous,” DeMaio said. “They had no problem attacking the rights of law-abiding citizens but suddenly became very concerned about the privacy of violent offenders.”
DeMaio also rejected claims that AB 256 was about punishment alone, noting that the bill was designed to ensure transparency and data collection — something Democrats routinely claim to support.
“They talk endlessly about ‘evidence-based policy,’” DeMaio said. “But when presented with a bill that actually gathers evidence, they shut it down.”
“If drugs are not a factor, then let’s prove it and move on,” DeMaio said. “But if they are, the public deserves to know.”