Assault weapons battle rejoined
Feinstein fights to reinstate law that expired after 10 years
Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Washington -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein renewed one of Washington's long- running and most bitterly fought battles Friday, saying she will introduce legislation seeking to reinstate the federal assault weapons ban that expired in September after 10 years.
Gun control has been a signature issue for Feinstein since she arrived in the Senate in 1993. But the odds she faces to pass the weapons ban in the current Congress are probably steeper than they were in 1993, when the Senate narrowly approved the ban, or last March, when it passed 52-47 before dying in the body.
November's election increased the 100-member Senate's number of Republicans from 51 to 55, and there are at least four new solid votes against Feinstein's proposal.
In the House, gun control advocates face an even tougher time because Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, have said they won't let the renewal legislation come up for a vote.
While President Bush said he would sign renewal legislation if Congress passed it last year, critics said he never did anything to encourage passage, fearing such a move would upset his conservative base as he sought re-election.
"We're cautiously optimistic,'' said National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam, that the Feinstein bill won't pass the Senate this year. "But we recognize the fact that this is Washington, D.C., and we take nothing for granted.''
In a statement, Feinstein said she hoped Republican leaders would help pass the assault weapons law again.
"This time, I hope for the safety of all Americans, President Bush, Senate Majority Leader (Bill) Frist and Speaker Hastert will help re-enact this important legislation," she said.
In disclosing her decision, Feinstein cited the shooting deaths Thursday of two Los Angeles city workers by a co-worker apparently armed with an AK-47 rifle as an example of why the law is needed.
"Once again, we've seen the tragic consequence of the ready availability of assault weapons throughout our society,'' she said.
The NRA and its allies are so opposed to the assault weapons law that they scuttled their own pet legislation last March that would have protected gun manufacturers against liability lawsuits. The assault weapons ban, offered by Feinstein as an amendment to the liability legislation, was approved as were amendments closing a loophole on gun show sales and one requiring trigger locks, which was sponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
After those amendments were approved, the overall bill was defeated, killing the effort to renew the assault weapons ban.
The gun liability legislation has been reintroduced and again provides a possible vehicle for the Feinstein and Boxer amendments.
The proposed ban covers 19 types of semiautomatic weapons and ammunition clips of more than 10 rounds. But it permits guns that were around before the ban.
Critics such as the NRA say the law was ineffective during its decade on the books, in part because it permitted slightly altered versions of many of the weapons to stay on the market.
E-mail Edward Epstein at eepstein@sfchronicle.com.
Aslo from SF Gate...
Assault weapons ban urged following deaths of LA workers
Friday, February 25, 2005
(02-25) 17:52 PST Los Angeles (AP) --
Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Friday that she will reintroduce legislation banning assault weapons after a city maintenance worker allegedly shot and killed two fellow employees with an AK-47 assault rifle.
"Once again, we've seen the tragic consequences of the ready availability of assault weapons throughout our society," Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a statement.
Thomas Sampson, 25, was booked for investigation of first-degree murder early Friday for the deaths of his supervisor, Rene Flores, 54, and co-worker Ricardo Garris, 49, police said.
Sampson, who was held without bail, turned himself in Thursday after the late afternoon shooting, said Officer April Harding, a police spokeswoman.
Garris, of Inglewood, and Flores, of the Sunland area, both had worked for the Bureau of Street Services for more than 20 years. The department fills potholes, fixes curbs and distributes asphalt in the city.
Feinstein in her statement said the shooting occurred just days before the anniversary of a Senate vote to extend the assault weapons ban for 10 years. The legislation expired after President Bush failed to urge Republican leaders to move the legislation, Feinstein said.
Feinstein said she intends to reintroduce the legislation next week and she hoped for support from Republican leaders.
Mayor James Hahn also sent a letter to Congress urging renewal of the assault weapons ban. Though the city and state have laws banning assault weapons, they are still readily available across the state's borders, Hahn said.
"Therefore, it is critical to have an assault weapons ban that prohibits the manufacture, importation and sale of assault weapons and ammunition throughout the United States," he said.
Sampson and Flores earlier Thursday afternoon had a dispute over Sampson being late for work, police said. Sampson later abandoned his city-owned truck on Interstate 10 in west Los Angeles and took a bus to where he parked his car. He then drove home, changed from his work clothes into a suit, armed himself with the AK-47 and drove to the field office where he waited for Flores, confronted him and shot him, police alleged.
Garris was shot because he happened to be in the office when Flores was attacked, police said.
From the L.A. Daily News...
Feinstein to push assault-weapon ban
Shooting prompts senator to reintroduce bill
By Associated Press
Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Friday that she will reintroduce legislation banning assault weapons after a city maintenance worker allegedly shot and killed two fellow employees with an AK-47 assault rifle.
"Once again, we've seen the tragic consequences of the ready availability of assault weapons throughout our society," Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a statement.
Thomas Sampson, 25, was booked for investigation of first-degree murder early Friday for the deaths of his supervisor, Rene Flores, 54, and co-worker Ricardo Garris, 49, police said.
Sampson, who was held without bail, turned himself in Thursday after the late-afternoon shooting, said Officer April Harding, a police spokeswoman.
Garris, of Inglewood, and Flores, of the Sunland area, both had worked for the Bureau of Street Services for more than 20 years. The department fills potholes, fixes curbs and distributes asphalt in the city.
Feinstein in her statement said the shooting occurred just days before the anniversary of a Senate vote to extend the assault-weapons ban for 10 years. The legislation expired after President George W. Bush failed to urge Republican leaders to move the legislation, Feinstein said.
Feinstein said she intends to reintroduce the legislation next week and she hoped for support from Republican leaders.
Mayor James Hahn also sent a letter to Congress urging renewal of the assault-weapons ban. Though the city and state have laws banning assault weapons, they are still readily available across the state's borders, Hahn said.
"Therefore, it is critical to have an assault-weapons ban that prohibits the manufacture, importation and sale of assault weapons and ammunition throughout the United States," he said.
Sampson and Flores earlier Thursday afternoon had a dispute over Sampson being late for work, police said. Sampson later abandoned his city-owned truck on Interstate 10 in West Los Angeles and took a bus to where he parked his car. He then drove home, changed from his work clothes into a suit, armed himself with the AK-47 and drove to the field office where he waited for Flores, confronted him and shot him, police alleged.
Garris was shot because he happened to be in the office when Flores was attacked, police said.
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