US Judge Declines to Block San Jose Gun Liability Ordinance (2)

A federal judge has refused to block a San Jose, Calif., “harm reduction ordinance” that requires firearms owners to pay an annual fee and to carry liability insurance to cover unintentional deaths, injuries, or property damage.

The ruling, by Judge Beth Labson Freeman at the US District Court for the Northern District of California, came ahead of a hearing Thursday on the city’s motion to dismiss the first of three lawsuits challenging the first-in-the-nation law. The judge said she was likely to consolidate the three lawsuits and later issue a single ruling.

The lawsuits claim the ordinance violates ...