Bullet-proof legislation. Last Wednesday, as the sounds of gunfire quieted in Baghdad, a different kind of fight was being waged on Capitol Hill. In a remarkable decision, the House passed a bill that grants the gun industry immunity from most lawsuits. A similar bill is pending in the Senate. If it passes, many current lawsuits, including those brought by victims of gun violence, will be dismissed.
Activists on both sides are brawling, not just in Congress but in courtrooms nationwide. And one surprising witness is testifying for the gun-control lobby: former NRA lawyer Robert Ricker. He now says gunmakers have long known about the many ways arms move into the black market, and they’ve looked the other way. Kitchen-table dealers, gun traffickers, and the battle for immunity.
Guests:
Robert Ricker, a former lobbyist for the NRA and other gun industry trade groups, turned whistleblower
Joseph Olson, professor, Hamline University Law School, former board member of the NRA