The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously voted that gun owners be legally required to store their firearms locked away or disabled. The vote was 14-0.

Rifles and shotguns are not included in the new requirement.

The claim by the law’s advocates is that this will keep children from getting shot or harming themselves with firearms.

Councilman Mitch Englander said “It’s really about having controlled access and securing that weapon,” he said. “This is less about gun control, and simply more about controlling your gun.” Of course it is, Mitch.

The measure was pushed by Councilman Paul Krekorian who claims that more preschoolers are killed with guns than police officers.

Krekorian explained, “It’s unacceptable to live in a country where it’s more dangerous to be a preschooler than to be a police officer — and we can do something about that today.”

This is a foolish measure. People who have a handgun for home protection will now have difficulty accessing their firearm in an emergency should they need it.

Violators of the new law will be facing a misdemeanor charge. Second Amendment activists say they might file suit over the law.