NRA Applauds Mississippi for Passing Lawsuit Preemption

Fairfax, VA--In a significant victory for the citizens of Mississippi, today Governor Musgrove signed into law a sweeping tort reform bill (H.B. 19) that includes the National Rifle Association (NRA) supported lawsuit preemption language, blocking cities and municipalities from bringing lawsuits against the gun industry, holding the industry responsible for the criminal acts of a third party. Mississippi is the 31st state in the country to pass such legislation. "This is a victory for common sense. On behalf of the NRA`s 4 million members, I`d like to thank the Mississippi Legislature for their support on this important issue. The efforts of solid leaders like Lt. Governor Amy Tuck (R), Senate President Pro Tem Travis Little (D), House Speaker Tim Ford (D), Sen. Tommy Robertson (R), Sen. Glenn Hamilton (R), Rep. Warner McBride (D) and Rep. Keith Montgomery (R) were vital in making this landmark legislation a reality," said Randy Kozuch, director of NRA`s State and Local Affairs. "I would also like to thank Governor Musgrove for calling this special session and signing this important bill into law," added Kozuch. "The very notion of trying to hold a lawful industry responsible for a criminal`s actions defies logic," Kozuch added. "Frivolous lawsuits against the gun industry are costing taxpayers millions of dollars. The only beneficiaries are the greedy trial-lawyers who line their wallets with more money and the grandstanding politicians who get their faces on the nightly news. Hard working Americans don`t want their tax dollars spent persecuting the firearms industry; they want to see the violent criminals who misuse guns prosecuted and in jail. "Judges have thrown out these frivolous lawsuits in numerous cities around the country. But, big-city mayors and money-hungry lawyers have been filing appeal after appeal, wasting more of honest citizen`s money. The only way to stop these lawsuits dead in their tracks is to pass legislation barring cities from suing lawful gun manufacturers. The NRA will continue to work at the state and federal level to pass similar preemption laws," concluded Kozuch. The 131 year-old NRA is the nation`s oldest civil rights group, and advocates enforcement of existing laws to prosecute and punish violent criminals. The NRA is the nation`s leader in teaching gun safety and promoting marksmanship among law enforcement officers nationwide. The Association has over 4 million members across America.