[jsalcedo]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/9FCCDCE9CCF2E57886256DA000141CE3?OpenDocument&Headline=County+sheriffs+face+onslaught+of+calls+

[Monkeyleg]

Thanks for a good read. :)

[BowStreetRunner]

that is more balanced than one would expect from a St Louis paper

[jimpeel]

Link (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/E887DF9449FBAF2F86256DA000141C8D?OpenDocument&Headline=Gun+makers+get+shield+from+suits+as+3rd+veto+is+rejected)

Gun makers get shield from suits as 3rd veto is rejected
By BILL BELL JR.
Post-Dispatch
09/12/2003

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Legislature overrode on Friday Gov. Bob Holden's veto of a bill that bars cities, counties and other political subdivisions from suing gun dealers and manufacturers for the social costs of their products.

It was the third time Holden had his veto overridden this week.

The House voted Friday, 116-36. The Senate overrode his veto 23-10 on the same bill Thursday.

The House sponsor, Rep. Larry Crawford, R-California, said gun makers shouldn't be responsible for how customers use firearms, just as pen makers shouldn't be liable for bad checks.

The legislation was prompted in part by St. Louis' lawsuit against gun manufacturers, which Crawford said aimed to bankrupt gun and ammunition companies.

"Right now we need jobs," he said. "This will wipe out the ability to file frivolous lawsuits."

The city is claiming that firearms manufacturers further gun violence by "knowingly" selling a dangerous product, said Patti Hageman, city counselor. Her office plans to go forward with the suit in St. Louis County Court, she said.

Hageman said the Legislature couldn't nullify a pending suit. "I think the governor was well-advised when he vetoed it," she said.

A spokesman for the defendants in the case could not be reached.

The override was the second major defeat for Holden on gun issues in as many days. On Thursday, the Legislature overrode a veto of a bill allowing the carrying of concealed weapons. It also overrode his veto of a bill to require a 24-hour waiting period for abortions.

Only three other times since the 1945 state constitution was enacted has a governor been overridden.

The law applies to pending suits, while it would allow lawsuits over contracts and warranty violations.

Proponents, such as Rep. Mark Wright, R-Springfield, said those who wanted to outlaw guns had found they couldn't "eradicate" the Second Amendment to the Constitution. The next best thing is to sue gun makers, he said.

Opponents, such as Rep. Tom Villa, D-St. Louis, argued that it made no sense to treat gun manufactures differently from other businesses. "It borders on insanity to take the gun manufacturers and remove them from litigation," he said.

Rep. Vicky Riback Wilson, D-Columbia, said that courts had the ability to throw out frivolous lawsuits and that lawmakers should not infringe on that authority. Other critics said the law would prohibit the state attorney general's consumer protection office from taking legal action against gun makers.

Rep. Bryan Pratt, R-Blue Springs, said the federal government and private individuals would still be allowed to sue gun makers.

During Senate debate, Ken Jacob, D-Columbia argued that without the threat of a suit, gun distributors wouldn't be careful about selling guns to criminals.

Replied the sponsor, Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau: "Your answer to everything is to file a lawsuit."

The measure is SB 13

==================

Here is how St. Louis-area representatives voted in Friday's 116-36 vote to override Gov. Bob Holden's veto of a bill limiting suits against gun manufacturers. On this vote, a "yes" vote was a vote to override and a "no" vote was a vote to sustain.

REPUBLICANS VOTING YES: Avery, Crestwood; Bearden, St. Charles; Bivins, St. Louis; Byrd, Kirkwood; Cunningham, Chesterfield; Davis, O'Fallon; Dempsey, St. Charles; Engler, Farmington; Fares, Webster Groves; Hanaway, Warson Woods; Icet, Wildwood; Jackson, Wildwood; Lembke, St. Louis; Parker, St. Charles; Portwood, Ballwin; Rupp, Wentzville; Schneider, O'Fallon; Smith, St. Peters; St. Onge, Ballwin; Stefanick, Ballwin; Threlkeld, Washington.

DEMOCRATS VOTING YES: Abel, Festus; Corcoran, St. Ann; Green, St. Charles; Harris, Hillsboro; Henke, Troy; Kuessner, Eminence; Liese, Maryland Heights; McKenna, Barnhart; Page, Creve Coeur; Selby, Cedar Hill; Spreng, Florissant; Wagner, De Soto; Ward, Bonne Terre.

DEMOCRATS VOTING NO: Boykins, St. Louis; Carnahan, St. Louis; Daus, St. Louis; Donnelly, St. Louis; Fraser, University City; Haywood, St. Louis; Hilgemann, St. Louis; Hoskins, St. Louis; Rodney Hubbard, St. Louis; Johnson, High Ridge; Jones, St. Louis; Kratky, St. Louis; Muckler, Ferguson; Schoemehl, St. Louis; Thompson, University City; Villa, St. Louis; Vogt, St. Louis; Walsh, St. Louis; Walton, St. Louis; Yaeger, St. Louis; Zweifel, Florissant.

DEMOCRATS ABSENT: Darrough, Florissant; El-Amin, St. Louis; George, Florissant; Johnson, St. Louis.
- The Associated Press

[Standing Wolf]

During Senate debate, Ken Jacob, D-Columbia argued that without the threat of a suit, gun distributors wouldn't be careful about selling guns to criminals.

Another leftist extremist lie. If leftist extremists were even remotely concerned about firearms in the hands of criminals, they'd advocate cracking down on criminals, not bankrupting firearms manufacturers.