San Jose accredited a novel ordinance on Tuesday that may require gun house owners to buy legal responsibility insurance coverage and pay an annual charge for his or her firearms.
The ordinance is the primary of its sort to be enacted by a significant U.S. metropolis.
Sam Liccardo, mayor of the Silicon Valley metropolis of 1 million, launched the ordinance final summer time after a transit company worker killed 9 co-workers and himself.
“It’s straightforward to say it’s not going to cease a criminal who’s intent on killing any individual. Properly, I problem anybody to magically craft that ordinance that may. It doesn’t exist,” Liccardo stated earlier than the Metropolis Council unanimously accredited the ordinance Tuesday evening. “However we will cut back gun hurt once we see the expanse of gun hurt and the way broad it’s in all its kinds.”
The insurance coverage should cowl losses or damages from unintended or negligent use of a firearm, together with loss of life, damage or property injury. An proprietor could be thought-about answerable for a misplaced gun till reporting the loss to police, in keeping with the ordinance.
The ordinance additionally requires gun house owners to spend money on safes, set off locks and security courses.
The Metropolis Council will maintain a second vote on Feb. 8 to ratify the ordinance. It could then go into impact in August.
California legislation bans the sale and possession of magazines that maintain greater than 10 rounds. The state additionally has a pink flag legislation that enables police to grab an individual’s weapons primarily based on a restraining order.
Councilmember David Cohen stated the town pushed forward with its personal ordinance due to a scarcity of federal laws.
“Sadly, attributable to inaction and obstruction, significantly on the federal stage on gun violence, it’s incumbent upon us to do issues which might be daring and take these actions,” Cohen stated.
The annual charge will quantity to roughly $25 and have an effect on round 50,000 households, in keeping with metropolis knowledge.
The cash will assist fund metropolis packages, together with psychological well being, suicide prevention, home violence prevention and gun security.
The town estimates it spends $39 million annually to reply to gun violence, from emergency providers to sufferer help and felony investigations.
In San Jose, a median of 206 individuals have been killed or severely injured in shootings annually between 2012 and 2018.
The ordinance incorporates some exceptions for energetic or retired law enforcement officials and hid weapon allow holders.
At Tuesday’s council assembly, which lasted almost 5 hours, gun house owners known as the town’s strategy short-sighted and a violation of their 2nd Modification rights.
“This ordinance is simply punishing us lawful gun house owners,” San Jose resident Michael Inexperienced stated. “We now have achieved nothing to hurt you individuals. We’re probably the most peaceable individuals of all of them.”
One other speaker, Kirk Vartan, stated, “Making lawful gun house owners pay for the misdeeds of criminals is illogical. It’s like holding reasonable drinkers answerable for drunk drivers.”
Supporters of the ordinance known as it wise and stated it might assist cut back suicides, home violence and faculty gun scares.
Katie Wilkinson, who lives close to San Jose State College, stated she has been underneath lockdown 3 times due to studies of weapons on campus.
“Gun violence prices our metropolis a lot by way of misplaced lives, in addition to financial prices,” Wilkinson stated.
Volunteers with the nationwide anti-gun violence group Mothers Demand Motion additionally spoke in help of the gun ordinance.
“All of us need a safer San Jose, safer California and a safer nation,” stated Varsha Damul, a volunteer with the group who incessantly visits San Jose.
Sam Paredes with Gun Homeowners of California stated the group plans to sue the town after the ordinance is ratified subsequent month.
Liccardo stated a number of attorneys have provided to defend the town professional bono towards a lawsuit.
He likened gun insurance coverage to auto insurance coverage.
“Now, we all know that legislation abiding drivers may profit from auto insurance coverage as a result of it incentivizes us all to drive extra safely, spend money on safer automobiles, anti-lock brakes, and a number of different measures,” he stated.
