Congressman Panetta Introduces Gun Safety Bill to Ensure Completion of Background Checks

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, February 25, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) announced that he introduced gun safety legislation to ensure completion of background checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) system. Currently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is statutorily required to purge incomplete gun background checks from its systems if they are not completed within 88 days, a practice that could allow gun sales without a completed background check. Congressman Panetta’s legislation, the NICS Data Integrity Act, H.R. 5949, will eliminate the statutory requirement to purge NICS data on background checks and instead maintain the data in its systems until the check is complete.

"When data is purged from the NICS system, there is no way to know how many people have purchased guns without a completed background check or how many firearm purchases would have been blocked if the background checks were complete," said Congressman Panetta. "As a former prosecutor, I know the importance of keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people. My bill will help in that effort by ensuring people who should not have a firearm don’t get a firearm because of a bureaucratic lapse."

The NICS Data Integrity Act also requires the FBI query its National Data Exchange (N-DEx) database when it does an initial background check. N-DEx is an unclassified national information-sharing system that enables criminal justice agencies to search, link, analyze, and share local, state, tribal, and federal records. Currently, background check examiners can only query N-DEx to research a delayed background check.

An internal report from the FBI showed that between 2014 and July 2019, the agency was required to purge the data of over 1.1 million incomplete background checks. The FBI found that, because of delayed background checks, at least 3,960 weapons in 2018 ended up in the hands of people who should not legally have had them. Since that data is purged, there is no way to know how many people have purchased guns without a completed background check or how many firearm purchases would have been blocked if the background checks were complete.

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Fatal 3 Vehicle Accident Involving Wrong Way Driver on Highway 101 Outside of King City on January 10

A fatal multi-vehicle collision happened on Saturday night, January 10 at 9:51 p.m. on northbound Highway 101 outside of King City. According to the King City CHP a 2016 Toyota Tacoma driven by 65-year-old Paul Lee Cooper of Otis, Oregon was heading the wrong way going southbound in the northbound lanes south of Jolon Road, while a 2006 Toyota Corolla driven by 33-year-old Dinora Maribel Gomez of Salinas was heading northbound on Highway 101 south of Jolon Road in the #1 lane and a Honda Accord driven by 36-year-old Ignacio Sangerman of King City was also traveling northbound on Highway 101 south of Jolon Road but was in the #2 lane. Due to Cooper's level of impairment his vehicle went the wrong way on Highway 101 going directly into the path of Gomez' vehicle causing the rear of her car to crash with the front of the vehicle driven by Sangerman. Cooper was arrested, sustaining major injuries and was transported to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas where as of January 12 is...

Monterey County DA Releases Preliminary Information Concerning an Officer Involved Shooting Incident that Occurred Outside of Soledad on December 16

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni on December 19 released preliminary information concerning the officer involved shooting (OIS) which occurred at about 1:20 a.m. outside the city of Soledad on December 16, 2025. Just before 1:00 a.m., Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Pina, who has been a peace officer for 10 years all with MCSO, and Deputy Blain Councilman, each in separate patrol cars, were dispatched to 32097 McCoy Road. A resident at the farm labor camp reported a suspicious individual with a handgun whose white Honda 4 door sedan was parked in space 18 at the complex. Before parking there, the suspect drove around and around, stopped in front of the reporting party’s (RP’s) truck, and got out. The RP could hear music. Deputy Pina drove the lead patrol car and arrived just after 1:20 a.m. His dashcam video, which does not record sound but which he installed on his own and at his own expense, depicts the following: He drove down ...

King City City Council Announces Selection of José Arreola as New City Manager

January 7, 2025-Following an extensive recruitment process, José Arreola has been selected by the King City City Council to be its next City Manager. Arreola will replace Steve Adams, who is retiring after serving in the position for the past 10 years. Arreola was selected from 31 applicants and 8 finalists for the position. The King City City Council will formally consider the proposed city manager contract at its meeting on Tuesday night, January 13. Arreola's first day on the job is scheduled to be February 23. José Arreola has a distinguished career of serving the community with a particular commitment to youth. He has worked for the City of Salinas for 12 years as their Community Safety Program Manager, Community Safety Administrator and Assistant to the City Manager. Among other responsibilities, Arreola has led several programs to eliminate gang violence which aligns well with the City of King’s efforts and priorities. Prior to that, Arreola worked as an Educa...

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