Gun charges filed against Calif. state rep

A California state lawmaker faces misdemeanor charges after he tried to take a loaded gun onto an airplane, the San Bernardino County prosecutor's office said. Tim Donnelly, a Republican from San Bernardino, was charged with carrying a loaded firearm in public without a concealed weapons permit and possessing a gun in an airport, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. Police detained Donnelly at Ontario International Airport in California in January after screeners found a loaded .45-caliber pistol and ammunition in his carry-on luggage. He said he forgot to remove the gun from a briefcase. Donnelly was going to Sacramento for the opening of the new legislative year. He said he regularly carries a gun because he has received death threats since he proposed reducing state financial aid for illegal immigrants, the Times reported. "I have fully cooperated with law enforcement officials and have been candid about this matter publicly," Donnelly said in a statement Friday. "I am deeply honored to represent the people of the 59th District and regret any inconvenience this has caused to those involved."