Senate RollCall Gun Lawsuits ( To require safety locks on all handguns sold in the United States)

1 posted on 02/26/2004 9:19:31 PM PST by RickofEssex

Senate OKs Handgun Locks Legislation

By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A Senate agreement requiring child safety locks on U.S. handguns gave Democrats encouragement Thursday that renewing an assault weapons ban might also become part of a package to protect gun makers and sellers from gun crime lawsuits.

The GOP-controlled Senate voted 70-27 to require all handguns sold in the United States to have child safety locks, adding the measure to the legislation providing the gun industry immunity from suits when a legally sold gun is subsequently used in a crime.

Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin argued that requiring child safety locks on newly purchased handguns would help reduce the number of children accidentally killed by handguns in the home. Every 48 hours, a child is killed through an accidental shooting, Boxer said.

"If we were to pass this legislation and it became the law of the land, the number of children involved in the number of accidental shootings would go way down," she said.

Kohl said the bill "is not a panacea. It will not prevent every single avoidable firearm-related accident. But the fact is that all parents want to protect their children. This legislation will ensure that people purchase child-safety locks when they buy guns. Those who buy locks are more likely to use them. That much we know is certain."

The Senate in 1999 passed similar legislation but the House refused to approve the measure.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, the sponsor of the gunmaker immunity legislation, argued against the measure, saying gun manufacturers already are working on the problem. Craig said the amendment would be an intrusion of the federal government into people's private homes.

"For the first time, the long arm of government will reach into the private place and suggest to the average American how they will store an object in that private place," he said. "I'm not arguing about the care and the emotion and the concern and the reality. Not that at all. I understand that. But I don't believe that government ought to be telling the average citizen how they store objects within their home."

Craig and other Republicans, including the Bush administration, also called on senators not to add amendments to the gunmaker immunity bill that could bog it down.

Gun advocates say firearm manufacturers make legal products and should not have to spend millions of dollars fighting off suits. A test vote earlier this week garnered 75 votes for the measure, with Democrats agreeing to vote for the measure after the GOP agreed that firearms makers and distributors would not be immune to suits involving defective products or illegal sales.

The GOP-controlled House already has passed the bill. However, Senate changes will require that House and Senate negotiators agree to a compromise version, which could take months given the strong feelings on both sides.

For example, leaders in the GOP-controlled House already have said they do not plan to approve an extension of the expiring assault weapons ban. But Senate Democrats say they are close to getting enough votes to add that measure to the gunmaker bill.

"Any amendment that would delay enactment of the bill beyond this year is unacceptable," the White House said Tuesday.

The Senate's overwhelming approval of the gun lock amendment shows that senators are not listening to that advice and could be convinced that the assault weapons ban and other Democratic legislation should be added to the package, Boxer said. "Senators are not buying the argument that the bill should be clean."

Democrats are very close to having enough support to reauthorize the assault weapons ban for 10 more years, she said. The ban expires in September.

"We believe we can get to 51," said Boxer, referring to the number of votes needed to add the measure to the gunmaker immunity bill.

Democrats did fail to get enough votes to add a six-month extension of long-term unemployment insurance to the legislation.

Republicans also sought to put on the bill a renewal of a special provisions section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that requires Southern and some Western states get federal approval before making any changes in state voting laws. However, they pulled the amendment after Democrats complained that the issue should be considered separately.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., also offered an amendment to exempt the victims of the D.C. snipers John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo from the legislation so they can attempt to sue gun stores and manufacturers for negligence. The Senate voted down the amendment 40-56.

___

On the Net:

Information on the bill, S. 1805, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov

2 posted on 02/26/2004 9:21:08 PM PST by RickofEssex

Hopefully Mr. Delay will fix this in conference.

3 posted on 02/26/2004 9:27:22 PM PST by RWR8189 (Its Morning in America Again!)

but but but will they come with a key?

HALF of the Republicans in the Senate joined the Demoncrap Party.

Thats the STUPID PARTY for ya,

4 posted on 02/26/2004 9:27:37 PM PST by GeronL (http://www.ArmorforCongress.com......................Send a Freeper to Congress!)

"If we were to pass this legislation and it became the law of the land, the number of children involved in the number of accidental shootings would go way down," she said

will she stake her career on that??

5 posted on 02/26/2004 9:28:56 PM PST by GeronL (http://www.ArmorforCongress.com......................Send a Freeper to Congress!)

6 posted on 02/26/2004 9:29:23 PM PST by GeronL (http://www.ArmorforCongress.com......................Send a Freeper to Congress!)

The problem with gun locks is the false sense of security that they provide. My husband works for homeland security, and he carries a gun on duty. Customs has purchased gun locks for their armed employees to use on their firearms.

The first one they bought him fell apart. It fit through the trigger housing. If this gun lock had been relied upon to keep a child from using the gun, they could have used it as soon as the two halves separated from each other, spontaneously.

The second one was a wire contraption that fed through the barrel and was supposed to lock into itsself, but didn't.

The most recent one is like a hard sided suitcase with a lock, except small and padded inside, for a gun. Last week he said "look at this". He softly tapped it twice on our carpeted and padded bedroom floor, and it fell open.

7 posted on 02/26/2004 9:29:37 PM PST by passionfruit (passionate about my politics, and from the land of fruits and nuts)

"Any amendment that would delay enactment of the bill beyond this year is unacceptable," the White House said Tuesday...... The Senate's overwhelming approval of the gun lock amendment shows that senators are not listening to that advice and could be convinced that the assault weapons ban and other Democratic legislation should be added to the package, Boxer said. "Senators are not buying the argument that the bill should be clean."

Republicans also sought to put on the bill a renewal of a special provisions section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that requires Southern and some Western states get federal approval before making any changes in state voting laws. However, they pulled the amendment after Democrats complained that the issue should be considered separately.

What's wrong with this picture?

8 posted on 02/26/2004 9:30:01 PM PST by Lancey Howard

Well then maybe Bush will veto it.

< /sarcasm>

9 posted on 02/26/2004 9:32:04 PM PST by RWR8189 (Its Morning in America Again!)

To: Lancey Howard

Pray for America It need it

10 posted on 02/26/2004 9:34:10 PM PST by RickofEssex

To: Lancey Howard

The Democrats are always going to be in charge because the GOP is weak-kneed and spineless.

11 posted on 02/26/2004 9:34:36 PM PST by GeronL (http://www.ArmorforCongress.com......................Send a Freeper to Congress!)

DeWine & Voinovich vote yes and against the second amendment. I'm ashamed they're from Ohio.

12 posted on 02/26/2004 9:34:47 PM PST by Rudder

To: passionfruit

The problem with gun locks

Is that it will get you kill

13 posted on 02/26/2004 9:35:18 PM PST by RickofEssex

14 posted on 02/26/2004 9:36:59 PM PST by RickofEssex

To: Lancey Howard

What exactly are the Special Provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act?

15 posted on 02/26/2004 9:37:16 PM PST by TheEaglehasLanded

Must be re election time old Scottish Law Arlen voted against the locks and in favor of the Constitution.
Jack

16 posted on 02/26/2004 9:37:44 PM PST by btcusn (Giving up the right to arms is a mistake a free people get to make only once.)

They full this off Why?

17 posted on 02/26/2004 9:38:29 PM PST by RickofEssex

To: RWR8189; Impeach98

Well then maybe Bush will veto it.

Heeheehee

Thanks for the laugh!

When will these idiots in Washington D.C. get it? The 2nd Amendment is an INDIVIDUAL right, not a STATE right.

</preaching to the choir>

18 posted on 02/26/2004 9:39:04 PM PST by TatooChick (Praise the Lord...and pass the ammunition (Remember, Vote NO on 55,56,57,58!))

My dad was a deputy sheriff a gun collector and avid hunter. He had guns in the house and in his car as he had to carry a firearm off duty. Me and my brother and sister were in no danger as our parents told us mom and dad's things were off limits unless we had their permission to see or handle them. We are still alive and kicking.

19 posted on 02/26/2004 9:42:19 PM PST by blackbart.223

I've been against these two since they entered state-wide politics, and for good reason. I've been posting my feelings about these two at FR since 1999. I guess you must be either a newbie or Rip Van Winkle.

20 posted on 02/26/2004 9:45:36 PM PST by Rudder

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