As Pride Month begins to wind down, I hope to be able to see you at the San Francisco Pride Parade this Sunday for a final celebration commemorating the occasion! There's a little bit more room left in my group, if you still want to march with me. RSVP below today.

After the parade, California ushers in two new state laws that I authored - both of which have the goal of making our streets safer. First, AB 1587 helps prevent gun violence by bringing in financial institutions as partners to flag suspicious purchases. Banks and credit unions must have a Merchant Category Code (MCC) available for firearms and ammunition by Monday; then by May of next year, California retailers must use this code whenever these products are sold.

Financial companies will be able to monitor and report transactions that could be reflective of stockpiling for a mass shooting. They already do this for activities that could be related to human trafficking, fraud and terrorism. MCCs are 4-digit codes used all around the world, and each one is assigned to a particular product or service - except the gun industry. It's time they are included.

Tying an MCC to gun and ammunition purchases could be impactful because, between 2007 and 2018, credit cards were used to finance at least eight major mass shootings. Gun safety advocates say law enforcement might have prevented them had financial institutions alerted authorities. That's powerful, and I want every tool available to prevent tragedies and save lives.

Another law taking effect is AB 449, which requires all law enforcement agencies in California to have a hate crimes policy and to follow specific guidelines when responding to such incidents. It's ridiculous that some jurisdictions in our state are reporting zero hate crimes. We can't solve problems without the true depth and frequency of these incidences, and my hope is that with accurate data, we can better direct our resources and efforts to stop senseless attacks and acts of discrimination.

We should all be able to live in peace.

PHIL TING
Assemblymember, 19th District