An angry Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that he would use a Texas strategy for banning abortion to effectively outlaw assault weapons or ghost guns in California.

Expressing outrage over Friday’s Supreme Court decision allowing Texas curbs on most abortion services to remain in place, Newsom said: “If states can now shield their laws from review by the federal courts that compare assault weapons to Swiss Army knives, then California will use that authority to protect people’s lives, where Texas used it to put women in harm’s way.”

Newsom said in a statement he has ordered his staff to work with the Legislature and the Attorney General’s Office on a bill that would allow private citizens to sue anyone who makes, distributes or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kit or parts in the state.

Such a ban would allow statutory damages of at least $10,000 per violation plus costs and attorney’s fees, he said.

“If the most efficient way to keep these devastating weapons off our streets is to add the threat of private lawsuits, we should do just that,” Newsom said.

Michael Schwartz, executive director of San Diego County Gun Owners PAC, rejected the idea in response to a request for comment.

“I’m positive that copying successful  economic policies that motivate droves of people and businesses to move from California to Texas is a much better idea than using public policy vindictively to target gun owners practicing a civil right,” he told Times of San Diego….

The above comes from a Dec. 11 story in the Times of San Diego.