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🎙️ This Week on the So, Does It Matter? One-On-One Podcast — Inside the Fight Over Gun Policy in California
Rick Travis doesn’t just follow California’s gun control debate — he’s in the middle of it every single day.
As the Legislative Director for the California Rifle and Pistol Association, Travis works the Capitol from the inside, tracking bills, negotiating language, and pushing back on policies he believes are reshaping the rights of millions of Californians.
In this week’s One-On-One Podcast, Jon sits down with Travis for a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at how gun legislation actually moves through Sacramento — and why the pace and volume of new proposals have accelerated in recent years.
The conversation walks through the evolution of California’s gun laws, including how incremental policy changes over decades have built into today’s regulatory environment. Travis argues that many of these changes didn’t happen overnight — but rather through a steady accumulation of restrictions that often went largely unchallenged at the time.
From there, the discussion turns to the current legislative session — including specific bills that could impact everything from firearm access to new compliance requirements, as well as efforts on the other side to roll back or modify existing laws.
Travis also explains the mechanics most people never see: how staff, not just elected officials, shape outcomes; how advocacy groups influence policy; and why showing up — or not showing up — can determine what ultimately becomes law.
Jon and Travis close with a broader conversation about strategy — whether it’s possible to claw back policies over time, what’s realistically achievable in a one-party-dominated legislature, and how engagement from everyday Californians can still make a difference.
If you want to understand not just what’s happening on gun policy in California — but how and why it’s happening — this is a conversation worth hearing.
🎥 Watch the full conversation above — and find the video and podcast players below
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Useful Links
CRPA on X
California Rifle & Pistol Association Website
CRPA’s Legislative Advocacy page
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EXCLUSIVE “ONE MORE THING” EXTRA VIDEO BELOW… It’s a thank you to our paid subscribers!
