FULL TEXT OF PRESS RELEASE FROM AUTHORS OF SB-281

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May 10, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Victor Ruiz-Cornejo, victor.ruiz-cornejo@sen.ca.gov, 415.604.6817 
 
In Light of Significant Progress at Cow Palace, Senator Wiener and Assemblymember Ting to Delay Cow Palace Legislation Until January to Allow for Additional Dialogue
 
In response to Senator Wiener and Assemblymember Ting introducing SB 281 to ban gun shows at the Cow Palace and authorize sale of the Cow Palace’s land to a local agency, the Cow Palace stopped ignoring the local community (after doing so for decades), ended the gun shows, and announced it is pursuing development opportunities.
 
Given this progress, Senator Wiener and Assemblymember Ting will postpone the legislation until January, work with the local community and the Governor, and determine in January whether sufficient progress has been made
 
San Francisco –  Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) announced that, in light of significant progress at the Cow Palace, they are pausing Senate Bill 281 until January. The bill, which has been passed by three Senate committees, remains alive and active. The authors are simply delaying a vote on the bill until January, as part of the two-year legislative session.
 
SB 281 bans gun and ammunition sales at the Cow Palace, a state owned-venue located in Daly City and San Francisco, and authorizes sale of the entire 68-acre Cow Palace property to a locally controlled authority comprised of Daly City, San Francisco, and San Mateo County.
 
Senator Wiener and Assemblymember Ting - with co-authorship of every legislator representing San Francisco and San Mateo Counties - introduced SB 281 after decades of frustration with the Cow Palace Board of Directors, which persisted in holding gun shows despite universal local opposition and various bills to ban the gun shows (by then-Senators Jackie Speier and Mark Leno and by Senator Wiener). In addition, Daly City has wanted to redevelop part of the site for years, due to its blighted condition, yet the Cow Palace has never done so.
 
After introduction of SB 281 and after it was passed by three Senate policy committees, the Cow Palace Board of Directors passed a motion not to renew the contract for the gun shows and announced that it will explore development opportunities. Senator Wiener and Assemblymember Ting believe it makes sense, in light of these developments, to slow the bill down in order to create space for the Cow Palace, local stakeholders, and the Governor to engage in dialogue about the future of the site.
 
“I’m thankful that the Cow Palace Board of Directors has ended the gun shows and announced that it will explore development of its land,” said Senator Wiener. “To be clear, the Cow Palace should have taken this step years ago, and it should not have taken state legislation to move the agency to this point. However, better late than never, and I am heartened that the Cow Palace has finally taken these steps. Given the epidemic of gun violence gripping our country, the last thing we need is a gun show venue in the heart of the Bay Area. And, it’s time to have a meaningful discussion about the future of this site. Between now and January, we will work closely with the Governor and local stakeholders and will carefully watch the actions of the Cow Palace Board of Directors.”
 
“I’m glad the Cow Palace Board of Directors finally voted to give the community what it wanted and banned gun shows,” said Assemblymember Ting. “On the land use aspect of SB 281, I believe the current site could be better utilized to meet local needs. However, I understand it’s best for all parties to make the proposal a two-year bill, given the concerns expressed about what redevelopment would mean for the arena. This will allow everyone more time to work out their differences and ensure all voices are heard.”
 
In addition to Assemblymember Ting, SB 281 is also co-authored by the entire two county state delegation including Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), and Assemblymembers David Chiu (D-San Francisco), Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto), and Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco). The San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Daly City Council both voted unanimously to support the bill, and Mayor London Breed is also supportive.
 
Full text of the bill can be found here.
 
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Victor Ruiz-Cornejo
Communications Director 

Senator Scott Wiener