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Republican Tim Donnelly, who has made gun rights a centerpiece of his gubernatorial campaign, is pushing for legislation in the Assembly that would expand gun owners access to concealed carry permits.

His bill, which he promoted at the Capitol on Monday, follows a federal court ruling in February that found the states requirements for concealed weapons permits too restrictive.

Current state law requires applicants to show good cause and gives discretion over the permit process to local law enforcement officials. Donnelly, an assemblyman from Twin Peaks, said that process is arbitrary and capricious, favoring gun owners who are well connected.

Donnelly said his legislation, which would require the state Department of Justice to issue a concealed handgun permit to gun owners who pass a background check, would make the promise of our Second Amendment a reality for every Californian.

A rights not a right if you cant exercise it, Donnelly told reporters at the Capitol.

Donnellys legislation, Assembly Bill 1563, is unlikely to gain support in the Democratic-controlled Legislature, but it may further bolster his credentials with conservative activists. Donnellys news conference came on the same day rival Republican Neel Kashkari announced two high-profile endorsements, from former California Gov. Pete Wilson and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee.

Neel is the right candidate with the right message to challenge Governor (Jerry) Brown, support Republican candidates up and down the ticket, and help us grow the party in the long term, Wilson said in a prepared statement.

Donnelly, the Legislatures most outspoken gun rights advocate, pleaded no contest in 2012 to two misdemeanor charges related to the discovery of a firearm in his carry-on bag at Ontario International Airport. Donnelly has said he forgot he had the gun.

Donnelly said Monday he has had no personal experience with the concealed carry permit process in California, but that maybe I would be one of the first people to apply for it under my new law.

He spoke to reporters ahead of a hearing by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the legal status of the states concealed carry restrictions remains uncertain.

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Assemblyman Donnelly pushes concealed carry bill; Kashkari rolls out big endorsements