DC Considers Law Requiring Gun Owners To Take Out $250K Insurance Policy

[Recursion]

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/dc-considers-law-requiring-gun-owners-to-take

The Washington, D.C. City Council is considering legislation that would force people to take out at least $250,000 in insurance before they are eligible to obtain a gun license.

Democratic Councilmember Mary Cheh introduced the law. CBS DC reported that the insurance would cover damages resulting from either accidental or intentional uses of guns that was not connected to self defense. Washington already has some of the stiffest gun control laws in the country.

Similar insurance legislation is being looked at in multiple state, but has yet to pass.

This will almost certainly pass the DC council, and the GOP in Congress has been making some surprisingly home-rule-ish statements of late, so it could very well survive Congress too. A lot of DUers have been interested in the insurance idea, so keep your eyes on DC to see whether this works well or not. (OTOH, illegal guns outnumber legal ones in DC by a factor of 1000 to 1 or so.)

Also, realistically, this is really just another attempt to avoid issuing permits, but I would imagine there will be an insurer that carries this, possibly even the NRA itself.

[ret5hd]

1. A $1million umbrella policy costs a few hundred a year.

I see no prob with this.

[premium]

2. I have a problem with this,

and here it is so, bear with me, it's hard enough and expensive already just to get the D.C. permit, on top of the cost of a firearm, so, how would poor people be able to afford the insurance?
And before anyone says that if they can afford to purchase a gun, then they can afford the ins., here's the problem, a firearm purchase is a one time expense, ins. is a recurring expense.

I suspect that given D.C.'s past record on allowing their citizens to have firearms and the numerous roadblocks they throw up to deter gun ownership, this is just another ruse to discourage the average citizen from being able to own one.

[mwrguy]

7. That's the entire point

To discourage ownership.

[premium]

8. Then if that's the purpose of it,

I'll bet the SCOTUS will have a lot to say about it, probably nothing good.

[madrchsod]

3. let`s see....

health insurance,car insurance,and home insurance. ya i can do without them but do i? nope.

[Recursion]

4. It's an idea, at least

I'm not sure what it's supposed to cover (I still don't think it's actually legal for an insurance company to insure against a crime committed by the policyholder), but assuming this passes we can at least see what it does.

[jmg257]

5. I thought the Insurance companies were saying they would have nothing to do with this

type of coverage?

[Recursion]

6. The NRA might do it

Most of what the NRA itself does is provide insurance

[premium]

9. They do,

but not for criminal or preventable negligent acts.

[sarisataka]

10. NRA does offer different forms of this insurance

to its members. Not too expensive but pretty basic. A few other companies offer insurance with better coverage through gap coverage or general liability.

[cherokeeprogressive]

11. DC City Council says "Let's throw money at the NRA! THAT'LL show 'em!"

The NRA must be greedily rubbing their palms together at the very NOTION of this. Think about it... No insurance company is going to want to get involved. Remember how the banks deserted the gun makers like rats from a sinking ship? Was the DC City Council asleep while that was going on? Well guess what: this is a ship the insurance rats won't get on in the first place. Who does that leave in the balance? The NRA. Yep. They'll offer insurance so much cheaper than any other insurance company who DOES decide to get involved; gun owners would be STUPID to go anywhere else. And they'll make TONS of money because most LEGAL gun owners aren't going to be filing any claims, EVER.

This is what happens when emotion trumps smart planning. Way to go DC City Council. So, yeah. Fill the NRA coffers with as much money as you can throw at them, and then piss and moan when they spend that money to get conservatives elected.