Gun Owners of California
1975
- Founded by Senator H.L. Richardson
- 1975 State Legislature sought to ban all handguns in California
- direct mail campaign was used to defeat the legislation
- first pro-gun group on television, radio and in the newspapers when the ban of semi-automatic handguns, rifles and shotguns surfaced
- first gun group in the nation to produce a video for television that revealed the truth about semi-automatic firearms
- first to do television spots alerting the citizens to the anti-gun legislation in Sacramento
- 501(c)4 non-profit
- 1998 Sam Paredes Executive Director
About Gun Owners of California
Gun Owners of California (GOC) is a state gun rights organization founded in 1975 by California state senator H. L. “Bill” Richardson, who served 22 years in the California Legislature. Richardson started the group to oppose efforts to disarm law-abiding Californians, and its national spin-off, Gun Owners of America, grew out of the California organization. GOC is based in the Sacramento area (Folsom) and operates as the state affiliate of Gun Owners of America, with a focus on legislation in Sacramento and on electing candidates who support the Second Amendment.
One of GOC’s best-known early campaigns was its role in defeating Proposition 15, the 1982 statewide handgun-restriction initiative; the voter mobilization around that fight is credited with helping George Deukmejian narrowly win that year’s race for governor. Sam Paredes has served as executive director, and he also sits on the board of Gun Owners of America. In recent years GOC has supported litigation against California firearm laws, with Paredes filing declarations on the group’s behalf in federal cases in 2022 and 2023. Richardson died in January 2020; GOC remains active in California as of 2026.
Key Facts
- 1975: Founded by state senator H. L. Richardson
- 1982: Helps defeat Proposition 15, a statewide handgun-restriction initiative
- January 13, 2020: Founder H. L. Richardson dies at 92
- 2022 and 2023: Executive Director Sam Paredes files declarations supporting challenges to California gun laws
- Based in Folsom, California; state affiliate of Gun Owners of America
Learn More
Sources
- Gun Owners to Host Fundraiser in Citrus Heights (Citrus Heights Sentinel)
- Senator H. L. Richardson, RIP (Rep. Tom McClintock)
- H. L. Richardson (Wikipedia)
- Declaration of Sam Paredes for Gun Owners of California, July 2022 (Michel & Associates)
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