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Lawmakers Trade Insults Debating Airport Gun Bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A bill that would require law enforcement officers to arrest anyone bringing a concealed gun into an airport has sparked a heated partisan debate on the Assembly floor.

Republicans say the bill is a jab at GOP Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who made headlines earlier this year when he carried a loaded handgun in his briefcase as he tried to board a flight. One lawmaker called the bill an "embarrassment" while another said it was "an insult to the citizens of California."

Democratic Assemblywoman Norma Torres of Pomona says she wrote AB2182 to address irresponsible gun owners who fail to keep track of their weapons.

Donnelly, from Twin Peaks, raised his microphone, eliciting catcalls on the floor, but did not speak.

The bill passed 46-25 Monday and goes to the Senate.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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