California appeals ruling on assault weapons ban

California officials on Thursday said the state has appealed a federal judge's decision to strike down its three-decade-old ban on assault-style weapons, saying the law is needed to prevent gun deaths.

Gloria Tso reports.

California is appealing a decision by a federal judge to overturn the state's decades-long ban on assault weapons.

Last week when U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez overturned the ban he called it "a failed experiment," arguing that it violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms. California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday called the decision flawed and said he was confident that it would be overturned.

"Aurora, Boulder, is it Sandy Hook, is it Parkland?

Is it Sutherland Springs, is it San Bernardino, is it Poway, you've got another ten minutes.

I could continue down that damn list.

I said it the other day.

What the hell is wrong with us?

We're better than this.

And this state will continue to fight and continue to lead." The judge's ruling was subject to a 30-day stay, leaving the ban in place for now.

The state will ask the court to put the ruling on hold during the appeal.

California became the first state to ban assault weapons in 1989 after a school shooting that killed five children.

Six other states and D.C.

Have an assault weapons ban in place, according to the gun safety group Giffords.

A federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004, and Congress has not re-authorized the law in the face of Republican opposition.

Guns are a hot-button issue in the U.S., which has the highest rate of gun ownership of any country.

The U.S. has seen over 250 mass shootings this year alone.