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Senate shelves gun show permit language

Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
edited July 2002 in General Discussion
Senate shelves gun show permit language



By GARY D. ROBERTSON : Associated Press Writer
Jul 17, 2002 : 1:53 am ET

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Senate has decided to shelf a permit requirement for gun show operators, a year after Democratic leaders pushed the idea through the chamber.

Instead, senators agreed to a gun bill Tuesday that only limits lawsuits by local governments against firearm makers. The House has sought the limitation but balked at the gun show obligation the Senate wanted.

"After much deliberation, we were not able to get it through," said Sen. Kay Hagan, D-Guilford, a judiciary committee chairman.

The Senate agreed by a vote of 42-5 on the restrictions on the lawsuits. During the floor debate, some Democrats seeking the gun show permit as a method to reduce illegal gun sales complained the National Rifle Association blocked its passage.

"What really bothers me is that (this bill) comes to help one special interest group," the NRA, said Sen. Wib Gulley, D-Durham.

The legislation would block local governments from suing gun makers for the lawful design, marketing, manufacture, distribution, sale or transfer of firearms or ammunition. The attorney general is the only one who could sue on these matters, according to the bill.

At the urging of the NRA, at least two dozen other states have approved similar legislation.

Several U.S. cities have filed lawsuits, none in North Carolina. The bills have taken on more interest after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled last month that Cincinnati's lawsuit against gun manufacturers could proceed.

Sen. Fountain Odom said the legislation would protect gun distributors and local dealers who are being pulled into these lawsuits at a great financial cost to them.

"This is a small business protection provision," said Odom, D-Mecklenburg.

The NRA is pleased with the Senate bill, said Joe McClees, an association lobbyist. The bill now goes to the House, which is expected to approve the legislation.

Supporters of the gun show provision argued that requiring gun show operators to pay for a permit from a local sheriff would keep unlicensed dealers from participating at the shows. The North Carolina Sheriff's Association supported the permit idea, said Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange.

"Background checks are not out of the mainstream," Kinnaird said.

Bruce Thompson with North Carolinians Against Gun Violence said Democrats shouldn't believe that they'll pay a price politically for backing gun restrictions.

"There have been plenty of polls that show a majority of North Carolinians support gun safety and law enforcement safety measures," Thompson said.





Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

Comments

  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Bingo. It's not Big Oil or Big Tobacco, it's 4 million Americans who DON'T want them screwing around with our gun shows. The Dems know this too; they're not as dumb as their double-talk would make them appear. They just don't want to admit we're out here, and a strong voting bloc at that. Calling us "NRA, the special interest," is their way of demonizing the enemy. They don't want to hear about 4 million. They want to make us out to be just like the corporate lobbying groups, who represent a few elite CEOs protecting their billions. That, by the way, is what is also wrong with McCain's so-called "campaign finance reform." It lumps us 4 million voters in with the special interest backroom boys.

    - Life NRA Member
    "If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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