|
> ATLANTA (Reuters) - Georgia passed a law Tuesday barring cities and
> counties from filing lawsuits against gun makers, thwarting a landmark
> effort by Atlanta to sue handgun manufacturers to recoup its expenses
> from gun violence.
>
> The action may be followed by similar legislative efforts in other
> states,supporters said.
>
> Atlanta Mayor Campbell called the new law ``outrageous''.
>
> Georgia Governor Roy Barnes signed the bill shortly after it was passed
> by the House on Tuesday following its approval by the Senate on Monday.
>
> The bill, which makes it illegal for cities and counties in the state
> to sue the firearms industry, was crafted to cover pending and future
> lawsuits.
>
> ``The legislation in no way limits any individual's right to bring suit
> under our legal system,' said Barnes, a member of the National Rifle
> Association (NRA)who was endorsed by the group in his election
> campaign.
>
> The bill was enacted after Atlanta filed a lawsuit last Thursday
> against 15 gunmakers and two trade associations, accusing the companies
> of manufacturing unsafe products.
>
> Atlanta became the fifth city -- after New Orleans, Chicago, Miami and
> Bridgeport, Conn. -- to sue gun makers for damages for crime, deaths
> and injuries involving handguns.
>
> The lawsuits are modeled against similar, successful litigation filed
> by states against the tobacco industry.
>
> ``I think it's outrageous that the legislature would seek to take away
> the rights of a city or any individual to file a lawsuit,'' Mayor
> Campbell told reporters after the legislature approved the bill.
>
> ``You're seeing the very powerful gun lobby and their media machine,
> which is trying to obfuscate the issue,'' he said.
>
> Campbell, who said last week he believed Georgia's courts will rule the
> legislation unconstitutional, said he was disappointed but had had
> expected it to pass.
>
> ``We are a little concerned about the margin of victory and the speed
> at which it passed,'' he added.
>
> The Georgia action, which was supported by the NRA, signals the
> beginning of efforts by the industry to protect itself against such
> suits, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor said.
>
> ``Weapons and ammunition manufacturers are stepping up in a proactive
> way to prevent what happened in the tobacco industry from happening to
> them,'' Taylor told Reuters.
>
> ``We believe the lawsuits being brought against the gun industry by
> certain big cities are frivolous and without merit,'' NRA lobbyist
> James Baker said in a statement. ``NRA will be working with legislators
> nationwide to spread this groundbreaking legislation and the protection
> it provides.''
YEEEHAWWW!