Sunnyvale gun-control measure passes

Measure C would impose rules in Sunnyvale regarding gun thefts, locks, ammo sales and high-capacity magazines. Measure C would impose rules in Sunnyvale regarding gun thefts, locks, ammo sales and high-capacity magazines. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Sunnyvale gun-control measure passes 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

(11-06) 12:14 PST SUNNYVALE -- Sunnyvale voters on Tuesday night approved a gun-control measure that snared the attention of both the New York City mayor and the National Rifle Association.

Measure C, which passed with 66 percent of the vote, requires gun owners to report a firearm theft within 48 hours, lock up their guns when not in use and dispose of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Gun dealers would have to keep a log of ammunition sales.

"The voters are saying they've had enough of gun violence, and they're sending a message to other cities: We need to get something done, and this is the start of it," said Mayor Anthony Spitaleri, who spearheaded the measure.

The NRA threatened to sue if Measure C passes, saying it overlaps with existing state laws and violates the Second Amendment.

Chuck Michel, West Coast counsel for the NRA, said other cities - including San Francisco - that passed gun-control measures ultimately lost in court.

"Millions of dollars were paid to lawyers ... for failed efforts to defend restrictions on people's ability to defend themselves and their families," he said. "This reality should be one part of the debate about Measure C."

The measure was originally put forth by Spitaleri as a response to last year's school massacre in Newtown, Conn.

Spitaleri, who is finishing his final term on the City Council, said he hadn't given much thought to gun control in Sunnyvale, which has among the lowest violent crime rates in the state, until the Newtown tragedy and the NRA backlash and political stalemate that ensued.

"Our federal government can't seem to set aside the partisan BS and deal with this, so it's got to start from the bottom up. Why not Sunnyvale?" Spitaleri, a retired Palo Alto fire captain, said last month. "Why not Mountain View next? We've got to start somewhere."

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an outspoken advocate for gun control, contributed $3,000 to the Yes on C campaign, almost half of the campaign's total coffers.

The No on C campaign spent just $270, according to the most recent financial statements.