Gun Owners in San Jose Outraged They'll Have to Buy Insurance, Like Drivers [View all]
Owning a gun in the city of San Jose will soon have a lot in common with owning a car.
In two landslide votes Tuesday night, the San Jose City Council approved a first-of-its-kind law that mandates gun owners buy and maintain liability insurance and pay an annual fee. The vote for the annual fee passed 8-3 while the insurance vote passed 10-1.
“Now, we know that law-abiding drivers might benefit from auto insurance because it incentivizes us all to drive more safely, invest in safer cars, anti-lock brakes, and a host of other measures,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo told the Los Angeles Times.
The two measures are aimed at encouraging safer gun ownership and reducing gun violence, according to Liccardo. Gun liability insurance would cover unintended firearm-related accidents and damages, according to the ordinance. Among the costs of emergency response, victim assistance, and more, gun violence runs city taxpayers as much as $442 million a year, according to the mayor’s office.
While many insurance companies and firearm associations offer some kind of coverage for gun owners, it’s unclear how many Americans actually have it.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7wgnw/gun-insurance-law-san-jose-california
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