Central Coast city demands federal action on gun control

A Seaside city council member is demanding federal action on gun control. Thursday she introduced a resolution she hopes will be heard by the federal government.

The resolution, which also passed unanimously Thursday, is a response to recent mass shootings at YouTube and at a high school in Parkland Florida.

“We’re introducing a resolution in support of stronger gun control and reasonable gun safety laws,” said Seaside City Council member Kayla Jones who introduced the resolution.

The City of Seaside was part of the national conversation on gun control recently, after a teacher and mayor pro-tem, Dennis Alexander, accidentally fired a gun in a classroom, hurting a student.

But Jones says this resolution isn’t about that and that her passion for stricter gun laws started years ago.

“I was an EMT when Sandy Hook happened and I was on the East Coast,” Jones said, “That made it really real and gun violence has only increased since then and so now I’m in a position where I can say something about it and do something.”

“Everyone I know, brothers, they all have guns, cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents,” said Seaside resident Lynn Herbert.

Still, Herbert says she supports what Jones wants to do.

“I love hunting, I love shooting at cans but, you know, it’s not the same as having automatic weapons in your house,” Herbert said.

The Seaside resident says she doesn’t know how much the federal government will listen but says it’s a start.

“I hate to say it but I don’t have a lot of faith that it’s going to make a big difference,” Herbert said, “But I guess if every state does something, maybe we’ll have more influence.”

That’s exactly what Jones is hoping for.

“Power in numbers,” she said.

The resolution will go to assembly member Mark Stone, state senator Bill Monning and Congressman Jimmy Panetta.

Jones hopes that will just be the start.