A New York Democratic lawmaker is behind a national push that would force gun owners to buy liability insurance or face a $10,000 fine.
The Firearm Risk Protection Act, pushed by Rep. Carolyn Maloney and seven co-sponsors, follows efforts at the state level to create the controversial new kind of insurance for gun owners.
“For too long, gun victims and society at large have borne the brunt of the costs of gun violence,” Maloney said in a written statement. “My bill would change that by shifting some of that cost back onto those who own the weapons.”
The likelihood, though, of Maloney’s bill gaining any traction is slim. Republicans control the House, and even states where Democrats have sizeable majorities have not approved the insurance idea.
Six states — California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania — have all introduced gun liability insurance legislation over the past few months. None has produced any results.
In Illinois, the House rejected a measure 34-74 that would require people carrying concealed weapons to also carry $1 million in liability insurance. Chicago Democrat Kenneth Dunkin was behind the defeated bill. He said an insurance policy would cost between $500 to $2,000, but Illinois Republicans successfully argued the costs were too high for citizens exercising their constitutional right to carry a gun, and the bill was defeated.
Last week, a similar measure in Connecticut was withdrawn following a two-hour hearing on the issue. Connecticut’s proposal would require firearm owners to maintain excess personal liability insurance and self-defense insurance.
In Maryland, a bill that sought mandatory firearm liability insurance for gun owners was also recently withdrawn.
Because there have been so many setbacks on state levels, many have argued that trying to pass a liability insurance mandate on a national level would be near impossible.
Still, Maloney maintains she won’t back down from the fight.
“We have a long history of requiring insurance for high-risk products — and no one disputes that guns are dangerous,” she said in her written statement. “While many individual states are debating this issue right now, it makes more sense for Congress to establish a national requirement to allow the insurance markets to begin to price the risks involved consistently nationwide.”
Maloney also supports proposed bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
The push in Congress for a renewed assault weapons ban has faltered. Though it is expected to get a vote as an amendment to a broader gun control package, few expect it to pass. The debate in Congress lately has centered on whether lawmakers can agree to a system of near-universal background checks.
We sure have a lot of traitors in government that are coming after ” We The People” that apparently do not have any knowledge of the Bill of Rights or our Constitution. Or do know and are committing High Treason. Above them are all the criminal types. How much more do we take. I believe the first shots have been fired – many of them. How many millions have been “done wrong” starting with the mortgage backed security frauds and lost every thing. How many citizens have to be attacked by the government? Hmmmmmm???? The founders knew they needed the 2nd amendment for times like these – thank goodness.
“A New York Democratic lawmaker is behind a national push that would force gun owners to buy liability insurance or face a $10,000 fine.”
BAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!! WOW!!! NY politicians are definitely not infringing on our 2nd Article right. They’re DESTROYING it!!!
$10,000 fine for no gun insurance. Really? Are you F**KING KIDDING ME?
I’m sorry but New York is NOT my state and I refuse to have one state control and tell me and all the other states how to live my life.
“Still, Maloney maintains she won’t back down from the fight.”
Congratulations Maloney, you just graduated to number 2 on NY’s hit list. Hope your happy as the judge in Sarkozy’s case isn’t the only one who will be receiving bullets and death threats in the mail.
The only insurance that should be required is life insurance on these treasonous bastards so that we will not be stuck footing the welfare bill for these scum bags familiies after we begin pushing back.