SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Democratic lawmakers are proposing legislation that would require California gun owners to buy liability insurance to cover any damages or injuries caused by their weapons.
The National Conference of State Legislatures says similar bills have been introduced in other states after the Newtown, Conn., school massacre. They include Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York.
The pending legislation, AB231, was announced Tuesday by two members of the Assembly, Philip Ting of San Francisco and Jimmy Gomez of Los Angeles.
Ting equated the idea to requiring vehicle owners to buy auto insurance. Gomez said it would encourage gun owners to take firearms safety classes and keep their guns locked up to get lower insurance rates.
Organizations representing gun owners have said lawmakers should target criminals instead of law-abiding citizens.
