SACRAMENTO-
Many were shocked when allegations of gun trafficking were brought against California State Senator Leland Yee, who was, at least publicly, a noted gun control advocate.
“No one in their right mind, I think, believes that you ought to have a military style weapon, carrying around and shooting,” Yee said in a March 4 Google+ Hangout with FOX40 viewers.
WATCH: Senator Yee Talks to FOX40 about Gun Control, Assault Weapons Bill
The senator is an active supporter of gun control legislation, authoring a number of bills that would curtail access to weapons and ammunition. Most recently, he cosigned Senate Bill 374, a measure that would have outlawed popular semi-automatic rifles in the State of California.
That measure was vetoed by Governor Brown.
“I am committed to this particular issue, and I am going to move this forward,” Yee said during the chat.
READ: Senator Yee Faces Long List of Charges
Meanwhile, according to an undercover FBI agent, Yee was working to arrange a meet-up between him and an international arms dealer for the express purpose of bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars in military grade weaponry into the country.
The criminal complaint against Leland Yee quotes him as saying to an undercover officer, on the subject of those weapons, “People want to get whatever they want to get. Do I care? No, I don’t care.”
Many of the same state senators Yee worked with on gun control legislation, Senator Darrell Steinberg, Senator Loni Hancock and Senator Kevin DeLeon, lined-up to call for Yee’s resignation when his arrest was announced Wednesday. There are rumblings around the Statehouse that the Senate may take some kind of official action against Yee as early as Friday.
WATCH: Steinberg to Yee: “This is Sickening”; “Leave”
The State Senate’s Democratic Super majority has already been negated by scandals involving Democratic State Senators Roderick Wright and Ron Calderon. So what’s the future for gun control efforts in Sacramento?
As one staffer put it: they still have the 21 votes they need to get a measure passed.
But this problem may not be mathematical one, it may be apolitical one.
READ the whole criminal document, list of charges
DETAILS: Senator Yee Indicted on Arms Trafficking, Public Corruption Charges
WATCH: Agents Take Evidence from Senator Yee’s Office
Steinberg to Yee: “This is Sickening”, “Leave”