Posted on 07/28/2005 7:22:29 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
Senate rejects Levin effort to expose reckless gun dealers to lawsuits
7/28/2005, 9:27 p.m. ET
By LAURIE KELLMAN
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate sparred Thursday over legislation to shield the firearms industry from some lawsuits, rejecting an argument by Michigan Sen. Carl Levin that gun makers and others are liable if they irresponsibly allowed a criminal to obtain a weapon and use it to kill or wound.
"We should not protect those folks from their own reckless conduct, their own negligence," Levin said.
The Democrat's amendment to allow some suits by victims of gun crimes failed 62-37. The bill's supporters said the proposal would undermine the purpose of their legislation: keeping the gun industry out of financial peril from damage suits.
"What this is all about is trying to drive gun manufacturers out of business," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Levin's amendment was one of the few Republican leaders were letting the Senate vote on.
When the Senate considered the same bill a year ago, Democrats succeeded in attaching an amendment that would have extended an expiring assault weapons ban. At the National Rifle Association's request, the bill never had a final vote.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., revived it this week by delaying until the fall final action on a defense bill the Senate was debating. He then used parliamentary maneuvers to block Democrats from getting votes on amendments objectionable to the NRA.
"We're being blocked by the power interests on the other side," shouted Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. "That's the lockhold that the NRA has."
Democrats did succeed in adding an amendment to require child safety locks to be purchased with every handgun, except those bought by government officials and police officers.
Any violation could be punished by the suspension of the dealer's license, a $10,000 fine or both.
On the Net:
Information on the legislation, S. 397, can be found at
http://thomas.loc.gov/
National Rifle Association: http://www.nra.org
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence: http://www.bradycenter.org
Excellent.
Democrats did succeed in adding an amendment to require child safety locks to be purchased with every handgun, except those bought by government officials and police officers.
Not excellent.
...and decidedly so.
The govt says locks must be included in handgun sales fine, but govt officials shouldn't get an exception.
This is actually, word for word, an article put out by the Associated Press? Unbelievable. Just flipping, unbelievable.
Wonder what side of the 2d Amendment this person stands. Assuming, of course, she's familiar with it.
Depends on your definition of "Child Safety Lock". The ones they use at all the gunshows look a lot like plastic zip-ties to me. Sure, toss one in the box. Heck, I'll take two.
Yeah, but how much will it (unnecessarily) add the the cost of the gun? ....$10 - $15?
I have no representation in the senate.
Did anyone see DeWine from Ohio on the Senate Floor?
He was whining and moaning about the big bad Bill to deny victims of gun violence their access to the courts, and how the ones voting for this would some day feel guilty for denying these poor gun victims their lawsuit rights.
He made me sick. Literally.
Ohio, what have you done...sending us this pathetic loser and Voinivich!!!
Also saw Warner of Virginia arguing against the lawsuit protection Bill.
RINOs...
Did Voinovich cry today?
This is great news! Don't sweat the small stuff, i.e. requiring child safety locks to be purchased with every handgun.
Hey Sen. Carl Levin, how about a law that makes Senators liable if they irresponsibly allow criminal aliens inside of our country who then go on to kill or wound Americans.
Don't know...was thinking about V's past performances...only saw DeWine and Warner.
Yeah, but we still won. Every gun I have purchased in the last few years' has come with a gun lock. I have a whole shoebox full of them!
"Hey Sen. Carl Levin, how about a law that makes Senators liable if they irresponsibly allow criminal aliens inside of our country who then go on to kill or wound Americans."
How about allowing Americans to sue Senators who deny Americans their basic Right of self-defense?
S. 397 vote delayed to Friday! This makes me nervous!
This is beginning to seem too much like MV-86, a "must pass" pro-RKBA bill that was "amended" by "voice vote" at the last possible moment.
The feculent result was 922.(o), a travesty that haunts us to this day.
So I am imploring everyone one last time, PLEASE contact your senators and tell them to vote FOR S.397 with ZERO amendments of any kind.
It seems they may have already added a "trigger lock" requirement, designed less to make guns safer than to provide another lever for State and Fed. agencies to destroy firearms dealers!
Please do not delay, please send a simple FAX from your keyboard, right now.
It need only say, "Pass S.397 without delay, and with ZERO amendments of any kind."
Really ???
My recollection is that the final vote was 90 to 8 against the bill because the NRA, GOA, etc. opposed it. How could I be so mistaken?
Is it the policy of AP to just make stuff up when they don't know? The AP seems to be suggesting that the NRA threw out the ballots because of hanging chads or butterfly ballots or some other magic which unfairly renders Democrats powerless.
I have been collecting all the free gun lock giveaways for years.... I have about 10,000 of the little false sense of security gun grabber locks in a couple 55 gallon drums in my garage. I go to every gun grabbers "giveaway" be it a city hall freebie box or some LEO loser handing em out..... I figure another 250,000 locks and I can secure the southern border for free......:o)
Or retire and sell "special" tricycle locks.....
Stay safe ....
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