Mayor and Senator in favor of a higher cost for coverage for owners at a higher risk.
The mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, and Senator Elizabeth Warren have stated that they are in support of the Beacon Hill legislation that would add a gun insurance liability coverage requirement to their weapons ownership.
The legislation would add new coverage requirements for owners of firearms, rifles, or shotguns.
Under a new provision to the legislation, which was filed by Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick), anyone owning one of these weapons will need to be able to provide proof of gun insurance with liability coverage. This new bill also makes additional suggestions that will help them to keep their premiums to a minimum.
The bill suggests that owners improve their knowledge of safety by taking a live shooting class. It also recommends storing grandfathered assault weapons and large capacity magazines at target ranges or clubs. Beyond the cost of gun insurance, though, owners would also have to pay a 25 percent tax on guns and ammunition.
The funds from that extra tax would be collected specifically for police training, firearms licensing, and mental health services.
According the Mayor Menino, “What Rep. Linksy is trying to do is put some teeth on this issue.” He added that “There’s more warnings on a cup of coffee about being dangerous than if you buy a gun.”
At the same time, Senator Warren has suggested that the proposal by Linsky should receive closer scrutiny. She explained that her support of the added gun insurance is to make sure that the violence associated with these weapons can be dealt with in alternative ways. Warren stated that “It’s time that we think about alternative ways [that we can] deal with gun violence,” adding that “We need to try different approaches to protect our children.”
The comparison that Linsky has made proposes that the gun insurance liability requirement is similar to the auto coverage that drivers must obtain before they are permitted to register their vehicles. The idea is that it will help conscious choices to be made regarding the risks associated with the weapons.