Taxpayer Burden If San Francisco’s vote to ban handguns and the sale and manufacture of firearms is little more than a “public opinion poll,” as suggested by the city’s mayor, then city supervisor Chris Daly, author of the ballot measure, should pay for the city's defense of the proposition in court and spare taxpayers the burden, suggests the Second Amendment Foundation. Mayor Gavin Newsom, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and noted law professor Franklin Zimring, a staunch gun-control advocate, have all publicly acknowledged the measure will likely be thrown out in court. The measure (Proposition H) has been challenged by a lawsuit filed by the National Rifle Association, California Association of Firearms Retailers, SAF and others that say it is illegal because it clearly violates state laws and also violates the state and federal guarantees of equal protection.