Democrats encouraged by Senate approval of amendment requiring handgun safety locks

mLive ^ | 2/26/04 | Associated Press

[yonif]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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.

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On the Net:

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

[NavyCaptain]

I think they got their peace offering. Child locks are acceptable to almost all. A ban is a harder mountain to climb.

[George from New England]

You got it!

When the burglar breaks in - you will both race to take off your trigger locks. Whoever gets theirs off first, shoots.

Only problem, burglar forgot his lock, you dead.

[AD from SpringBay]

What's the Senate? I remember at one time we had something called a Senate - they used to establish laws, or something like that. At least they used to before the judges took it over. So they're still in business? Well I'll be.

[bolobaby]

Gee... I wonder if these lawmakers realize that a trigger lock really doesn't prevent a single-action handgun from going off? I guess those will become more popular now, because if I'm going to protect my home, I'm not going to want to fart around looking for the trigger lock keys!

[boomop1]

The senate are a bunch of pompous morons that should be on term limits.

[drlevy88]

Assuming you use the lock, of course. Except in rare cases, a wise person, and surely one living alone, shouldn't.

[finnman69]

EXCEPT the bill does not require homeowners to use the locks.

other than that your scenario works.

[Slings and Arrows]

If I'm reading this article correctly, the amendment doesn't require that the safety locks be integral, or even used - only that they be present. (Taurus, for example, has key-activated locks built into many of its handguns.) If this is the case, the amendment just becomes a de facto tax on handguns - not good, but not crippling. Of course, the lamestream media rarely gets it right when it comes to guns.

[Arthalion]

Which is why my gun is under my bed in a thumbprint activated safe with a spring loaded door. It takes me longer to chamber a round than it does to get my gun out, and I don't have to worry about my kids stumbling across it.

There are solutions to every problem. If there isn't, someone will invent one and make a lot of money.

[Littlejon]

I was wondering about that. Does this amendment REQUIRE that the gun have the lock on at all times, or that they must be sold WITH the gun at purchase?

Seems like I recall someone here posting that this amendment had the provision that locks had to be ON the gun at all times while stored in the home or there was some big fine. I have not heard one way or the other on it.

As a card-carrying member of the NRA, I have no real problem with the amendment if it only requires the sale of the locks with the gun purchase. If it has some hidden language (wouldn't put it past Babs!) saying that the owner had to have the lock ON the gun at all times it was not in use, then I say kill the amendment.

Frankly, I hope they kill pretty much all of the attempts to further erode the Second Amendment, but with this senate in place, I wonder sometimes! Thank God we still have sensible minds in the House!

[drlevy88]

Thumbprint activated safe? There such a thing in the real world yet? I would had to see what would happen if you had to get into that with a cut thumb.

[drlevy88]

had to see -> hate to see

[Imal]

This is one reason, but not the only reason, why I can never vote for a Democrat.

As for the amendment, Congress has no constitutional authority to legislate on how I store my guns. The "elastic commerce clause" only stretches so far, and not enough to cover this.

[azcap]

The amendment only requires a lock be sold with it. This will be a boon for enterprising gun stores. Sell a trigger lock with every gun for $10 and offer the new gun owner a $5 trade in on his trigger lock towad the purchase of ammo. Your shop can sell the same lock for the rest of your life.

[.38sw]

Those who buy locks are more likely to use them. That much we know is certain."

and how do they know this for certain? California already requires the purchase of a DoJ approved lock with every firearm (unless you sign an affadavit that you own a DoJ approved safe). I have several of those locks, and resent every dollar I spent on them.

[Condor51]

Oh goody, another trigger lock to throw into the 'junk drawer'.

Hell, they don't even make good paper weights. But I guess if you had a sock full you could use them to whack someone in the head with.

[tahiti]

"The GOP-controlled Senate voted 70-27 to require all handguns sold in the United States to have child safety locks,"

Amendment V

"...nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation."

This law is unconstitutional as in now stands unless a compensation mechanism to reimburse gun manufacturers for the extra cost that they will incur to implement this law.

I thought each Senator took an oath that they will uphold, protect, and abide by the covenents of the Constitution.

[yonif]

I don't understand why so many republicans voted for it.