San Jose’s Gun Owner Fees and Insurance Requirement are Privatized Authoritarianism

Deputizing private parties to restrict liberty has become popular among politicians constrained by constitutional protections for individual rights. They get to target personal freedom without explicitly restricting anything, like a bratty kid waving his hands around a sibling’s face while chanting “I’m not touching you!” The latest such example is the San Jose, California, city … Read more

Regressive Burden: San Jose City Council Votes to Require Gun Owners to Carry Liability Insurance, Pay an Annual Fee

From the AP . . . A California city voted Tuesday night to require gun owners to carry liability insurance in what’s believed to be the first measure of its kind in the United States. The San Jose City Council overwhelmingly approved the measure despite opposition from gun owners who said it would violate their … Read more

Liccardo: I’m Mandating Annual Gun Ownership Fees Because Taxpayers Subsidize Gun Owners

  Imposing a modest annual fee on gun owners can support underfunded domestic violence and suicide prevention programs, gun-safety classes, mental health services and addiction intervention. We’ve invited doctors, public health experts, and yes, gun owners, to help identify how to allocate the money from these fees in ways that will reduce gun violence. Prioritizing … Read more