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Politico
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Scutari seeks more power for the Senate
Good Friday morning! With a new governor taking office in January, Senate President Nick Scutari is floating a proposal that would give the Senate more power over their cabinet by strengthening the power of advice and consent. Scutari's proposal has not been formally introduced, according to the several people privy to these discussions I've talked to about it. But he's tied it to budget negotiations. And if it progresses, we'll see what Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli think about it. Even if Ciattarelli is elected governor, the Senate will stay Democratic for at least the first two years of his term. Currently, there's no limit on how long a gubernatorial nominee can serve in the cabinet in an acting capacity, even if senators refuse to take up the nomination. That's how Comptroller Kevin Walsh has been in his position for five and a half years as two Camden County senators hold up his nomination through senatorial courtesy without explanation. The MVC acting administrator, Latrecia 'Trish' Littles-Floyd, who is three years on the job, is the only other cabinet member who hasn't been confirmed. Last I heard, Scutari wants to allow cabinet members to serve only six months, after which they could face a Senate vote on whether they can be removed from the job. The Senate would exercise this new power with the next administration. So unless the next governor re-nominates Walsh as comptroller — which seems highly unlikely — it probably won't affect him. But future watchdogs might be quite a bit shier with the Senate breathing down their necks. This would be a pretty drastic change that would reshape the state's separation of powers. I'm not totally sure whether it would require a constitutional amendment, but I believe the Legislature has some leeway in its interpretation of advice and consent. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ WHERE'S MURPHY — No public schedule QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Sometimes we don't have the opportunity to thank our utilities enough.' — BPU Commissioner Zenon Christodoulou on New Jersey power companies offering customers $60 in deferred charges this summer, to be repaid later without interest. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Pearl Gabel, Zach McCue. Saturday for Al Barlas, Tennille McCoym, Jon Chebra, Beth Schroeder Buonsante. Sunday for Chris Jones, Jill Colvin, John Mulholland, Ravi Varma WHAT TRENTON MADE AID IN DYING LEGISLATION AMENDED FOR NEWSPAPERS — Deadline approaches on newspaper public notices solution, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: New Jersey is once again barreling towards a deadline to fix its decades-old law on how public notices are published, but so far there's no solution in sight. Now, lawmakers are scrambling to find a permanent fix by the June 30 deadline — the same day they have to pass the state budget. 'Because of the timing, it's something that will get through very quickly in the budget season without a lot of time for comment or reflection about the implications it has,' Marc Pfeiffer, a local government expert faculty researcher at Rutgers, told POLITICO. State and local governments, as well as some private businesses and individuals, have long been required to post public notices in designated official newspapers. And for years, lawmakers have unsuccessfully sought to roll those requirements back, calling it a subsidy for the newspaper industry while the news industry accused them of seeking to punish publications for critical reporting. But the issue came to a head earlier this year when the Star-Ledger — the newspaper of record for many New Jersey counties and municipalities — ceased print publication while its sister publication, The Jersey Journal, shut down altogether. SAVED BY AN ANGELO — 'Why NJ businesses are getting an unexpected tax break,' by NJ Spotlight News' John Reitmeyer: 'New Jersey businesses are getting an automatic tax cut starting next month due to the improving condition of the state fund that covers unemployment benefits. According to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the agency that administers the unemployment fund, the tax cut will total an estimated $300 million over the course of a full fiscal year. 'This is significant news for both the state and its employers and highlights the strength and resilience of New Jersey's economy,' said Robert Asaro-Angelo, the state labor commissioner. … Thanks to contributions that have surpassed initial projections, the employer contribution rates will be moved to the next lower range on the rate schedule starting July 1, labor officials announced on Wednesday.' 77 PERCENT OF NEW JERSEY VOTERS WEREN'T 'OPEN-MINDED' TO IT — 'Murphy says he is 'open-minded' about casinos beyond Atlantic City to keep gambling dollars in NJ,' by The Press of Atlantic City's Wayne Parry: 'Gov. Phil Murphy says he is 'open-minded' about allowing casinos in northern or central New Jersey as a way to keep gambling and tourism dollars from leaving the state. New York is planning to soon authorize up to three casinos in or near New York City, a move that is widely expected to seriously cut into a prime customer base for Atlantic City. In an interview with The Press of Atlantic City on Wednesday, the Democratic governor said he realizes that allowing casinos somewhere other than Atlantic City will affect the resort. But he also said his duty is to keep gambling money within the state's borders. 'I have historically liked the notion that if it's a zero-sum question between New York and New Jersey, I want the gaming dollars and the tourism and everything that goes with it on the New Jersey side, for sure,' Murphy said. 'But I'm also conscious of what the impact would be on Atlantic City, as I have been since Day One.'' CIATTARELLI'S IUO — 'Operating Engineers endorse Ciattarelli for governor,' by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: 'The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 has endorsed Jack Ciattarelli for governor of New Jersey, giving the Republican nominee the support of one of the state's most politically potent labor unions. The 8,000-member union can provide Ciattarelli with boots on the ground during his campaign, and the potential to spend a significant amount of money through independent expenditures to help him win. 'New Jersey is at a crossroads. We face an energy crisis, an affordability crisis, and a crisis of common sense. The solutions are basic but may not be politically popular,' said the union's business manager, Greg Lalevee.' —'Bill to split Military And Veterans Affairs Department clears committee' —'Two NJ Transit real estate projects are tied up in court. Where are they?' —'NJ Senate advances laws to curb 'ghost' guns, expand gun crimes' —'160 years after Juneteenth, New Jersey must repair the past | Opinion' —'Wind energy near the Jersey Shore is over (for now). How activists and politicians feel about its demise' —'Wimberly says he would consider lt. gov. run, amid reports he's in consideration' TRUMP ERA SANCTUARY? — Joan Sebastian Castaneda-Lozada, one of the Delaney Hall escapees last Thursday, showed up to turn himself in to State Police in Bridgeton but was not taken into custody, according to DHS. 'Due to their sanctuary policies, the State Police refused to take him into custody because they do not work with ICE,' the Department of Homeland Security said. I thought that was odd because New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive — the policy that has made New Jersey a sanctuary state in the eyes of the Trump administration — doesn't bar police cooperation with ICE for 'complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.' In a statement, Attorney General Matt Platkin said that 'when a federal criminal complaint is issued, New Jersey Law Enforcement is fully empowered to assist federal partners in enforcing valid judicial warrants.' 'In the wake of the incidents that took place at ICE's Delaney Hall, my office issued express guidance to the State law enforcement community reiterating that officers should detain any of the four wanted individuals in connection with the federal criminal investigation into their escape from the facility,' Platkin said. A spokesperson for Platkin said he issued that guidance the day of the escape. Castaneda-Lozada showed up to the State Police on Friday, according to DHS. I asked the State Police on Tuesday why the escapee wasn't taken into custody but didn't hear back. JOHSNON & JOHNSON CAN'T MAKE A BAND-AID BIG ENOUGH — 'NJ stands to lose $19B in health care spending from Trump's 'big, beautiful bill',' by The Record's Scott Fallon: 'New Jersey's $53 billion health care sector has been growing at such a rapid rate over the past three decades that it has become one of the state's biggest economic engines. But like any engine, this one is prone to stall if there's problem with the fuel. New Jersey is poised to lose $19.2 billion over the next nine years in health care spending from the controversial House budget bill that includes steep cuts to both Medicaid and subsidies that discount insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act, according to an analysis issued this week. The proposed $1 trillion in health care cuts in the measure dubbed by President Donald Trump as a 'big, beautiful bill' would also take another $5 billion out of New Jersey's economy in uncompensated care for the newly uninsured, the national report by New Jersey-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute said. New Jersey would be hit the 14th hardest among states in overall health care spending cuts.' —'Freed American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander gets joyful welcome home celebration in New Jersey' —'History of alarming practices widespread across ICE sites' LOCAL GLOUCESTERF**K — Joe Brocco, the alleged phantom independent candidate in Gloucester Township whose candidacy appeared designed to threaten the real independent candidacy of Keith Gibbons — who's challenging Democratic Mayor David Mayer — appears to be off the ballot. Local GOP Chair Ray Polidoro challenged his petitions, and struck enough to get him just under the required 250 valid signatures, according to a decision by Camden County Deputy Clerk John Schmidt. Last I checked, the attempt to write-in another alleged phantom candidate, Republican Neil Smith, had also fallen just a few votes short to get him on the ballot. That sets up a likely two-man race between Mayer and Gibbons, who helped lead the landslide defeat of a referendum to sell the town's sewer system to New Jersey American Water, where Mayer works as director of government affairs. A challenge to Gibbons' petitions was unsuccessful. MAPSIKOUDIS — 'N.J. Supreme Court rules in Jersey City's favor in longstanding ward map case,' by Hudson County View's John Heinis: 'The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in the favor of the City of Jersey City in a longstanding case challenging the Board of Ward Commissioners approval of a new map in January 2022. The 65-page decision, which comes over six months after the state's highest court heard oral arguments in the case, disagrees with the appellate court's March 2024 ruling that additional fact finding was needed to determine if compactness requirements were met. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled 4-3, determining that Municipal Ward Law (MLW) was followed and the New Jersey Constitution was not violated in any way by the ward commissioners. … In a joint statement, counsel for the plaintiffs, Renee Steinhagen of NJ Appleseed Public Interest Law Center, Yael Bromberg of Bromberg Law, and Bill Matsikoudis of Matsikoudis & Fanciullo, said the decision 'allowed a gerrymandered map to stand.'' ONE RED LIGHT TICKET AFTER MANY RED FLAGS — 'Hear 911 calls from crash where Paterson Councilman Velez was issued a red light ticket,' by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: 'City Councilman Luis Velez has been issued a traffic ticket from the May 12 motor vehicle crash in which he was one of the drivers, the Paterson Police Department has confirmed. Law enforcement sources said the ticket issued to Velez was for disregarding a traffic light. The incident remains under investigation, police said. City officials on June 13 provided Paterson Press with audio recordings of the 911 calls made about the crash involving Velez, including at least two calls by the councilman … 'I have not received a ticket yet,' Velez said in an interview on June 16. 'I don't know what ticket you're talking about.' … . At times, Velez's comments to the emergency dispatcher are difficult to decipher, his words sounding garbled. Paterson Press asked the councilman about his mumbled speech. He attributed his lack of clarity to the impact of the crash … But the Paterson cop who responded to the crash scene — arriving after Washington already was taken away in an ambulance — never gave Velez a sobriety test, the crash report says.' BRIDGE TO TERRIBLETHIA — 'Friends, foes of controversial N.J. Turnpike bridge project square off at heated hearing,' by NJ Advance Media's Larry Higgs: 'More than 200 people came to a contentious final public hearing Wednesday about the New Jersey Turnpike Authority's $6.2 billion plan to replace the Newark Bay bridge with twin spans with more lanes. The auditorium of Woodrow Wilson School #10 in Bayonne was packed with both supporters, many of whom were union members wearing matching t-shirts, and opponents, including officials and residents from Hoboken and Jersey City. Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis opened the Wednesday evening hearing by saying he and the city council were '100% behind the project' to the applause of union port workers in the room … But Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla countered that city's elected officials were 100% opposed. 'No one is against updating the bridge and if it involves union jobs, even better,' Bhalla said. 'We're against failed transportation policies that create more car traffic by widening lanes and hurting the community. Jersey City has the highest asthma rate in Hudson County.'' —'NJTA still touting $10.7B widening project, despite ongoing objections to the plan' SIMPLISAFE'S ALARMING RECORD — 'NJ school administrator owns bus companies sued over multiple crashes, injuries,' by The Asbury Park Press' Colleen Wilson and Mike Davis: 'The ninth time Kelley Edwards was involved in a car crash, she was behind the wheel of a school bus, transporting a high school track team to a state tournament in Toms River. Elizabeth Garner's 10th crash — the fourth in 10 years, and second in four months — also came while she was driving a school bus, on a side street of McCarter Highway in Newark. And when Marcus Harris-El rear-ended an idling vehicle while parking a school bus at James Caldwell High School in West Caldwell, it was his fourth incident, according to a motor vehicle abstract … Each worked as a school bus driver for one of the private school bus companies owned at least in part by a high-ranking administrator in one of the largest school districts in North Jersey. Jason Ballard, the business administrator of the Orange public school district, was a co-owner of each of those school bus companies during his career with the Orange and Newark school districts, as well as the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, according to state financial disclosure forms and business records. Ballard's school bus companies were sued six times by drivers who said they were injured in crashes involving school buses operated by SimpliSafe Transportation' NO GRENADES — 'Can new rules tame Seaside Heights boardwalk? Borough approves new curfew, backpack ban,' by The Asbury Park Press: 'Following a turbulent Memorial Day weekend that included 80 arrests and four stabbings, Seaside Heights borough officials have unanimously passed new boardwalk regulations. The goal is to curb future incidents, with changes addressing boardwalk hours and bag restrictions. Under the new rules, the boardwalk will now close nightly. From Sunday through Thursday, it will be closed to the public between midnight and 6 a.m. On Friday and Saturday nights, and on federal holidays, the closure will be from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.' —'Lifeguard walked away as 2 brothers drowned and [Bayonne] school covered it up, lawyers say' —''I'm not sure where I will go': Homeless people told to leave Lakewood camp' —'Paterson mayor's bid to expand opioid treatment program to Clifton and Passaic snubbed' —'Trump administration joins bitter fight to block N.J. town from seizing 175-year-old family farm' —'Elmwood Park sergeant sues police department, chief claiming racial discrimination' —'Somerset Dems prepare to pick county commissioner replacement' EVERYTHING ELSE EDUCATION — 'New Jersey teachers groomed students, sometimes at the same school,' by The Asbury Park Press' Mike Davis, Jenna Calderón and Patricia Mendoza: 'While they only represent a miniscule number of teachers statewide, dozens of educators in recent years have been disciplined — professionally, legally and criminally — for sexual misconduct, often involving students. They made inappropriate, sexual-tinged comments about a student's appearance. They sent egregiously romantic social media and text messages. And they built physical, sexual relationships with the very students placed in their care, developing twisted relationships that experts said could have disastrous emotional effects as a child reaches adulthood and grasps the reality of what actually transpired. Since 2019, the state Department of Education has revoked or suspended the teaching licenses of 139 New Jersey educators after accusations of sexual misconduct with children, including students or others in their care. About four in five licensees whose credentials were revoked also faced criminal charges.' —'See Jeremy Allen White's Bruce Springsteen in 'Deliver Me from Nowhere' trailer, list of N.J. film locations' CORRECTION — In Wednesday's edition, I misspelled the name of Cranbury farm owner Andrew Henry because my fingers decided to type the name of former Senate Democratic Executive Director Andrew Hendry. The latter does not own a farm, though you could argue he worked as a kind of shepherd.
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
How should Mass. lawmakers spend the money from the state's millionaires tax? We asked around.
Write to us at . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT Call it the $1.3 billion question: How should Massachusetts spend the extra money that its so-called millionaires tax raised? First, some background. In 2022, Massachusetts voters approved a 4 percent surtax on annual income over $1 million. The constitutional amendment that created it requires that the money go to transportation and education initiatives. Last fiscal year alone, the tax raised more than $2.4 billion, or about $1.3 billion beyond what officials budgeted. This year, revenue has again The amendment left the Legislature with a lot of leeway to decide which initiatives to fund, and lawmakers have been Advertisement This week, lawmakers Advertisement More for the T The Legislature's compromise proposal would give $535 million to the MBTA. But some argue that the T, which has languished with insufficient funding and a backlog of repair work for decades, could use more. Amy Sutherland, a Charlestown resident and Starting Point reader, framed it this way: 'Making the T work at a 21st century level would solve traffic, economic, social, and climate problems in Boston and the surrounding metro area,' she wrote in an email. Jonathan Cohn of Progressive Mass, a liberal advocacy group, suggests using some millionaires tax revenue to expand efforts to make MBTA buses and trains free to ride. Other transportation needs The MBTA isn't the only transit service in the state that could use money. There are also Another possibility, Wilson said, could be to expand so-called Advertisement The federal funding gap But paying for transportation needs alone would leave little for other challenges — including ones that didn't exist when voters first approved the millionaires tax, like the Trump administration's efforts to cut federal funding to states. The administration has moved to 'Resources should be allocated to protect the schools impacted by these attacks,' Dominic Copeland and Davian Pagan of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network, a faith-based organizing collective, wrote. Jessica Tang leads the state branch of the American Teachers Association, which supported passage of the amendment. Tang said that $690 million — about half the Legislature's compromise proposal — could support low-income students and students with disabilities, as well as cover the Medicaid reimbursements that schools use to provide speech therapy, nursing, and more. The administration is also pushing legislation in Congress that would cut federal student aid, which helps low-income What's next? There's no shortage of ideas about what to do with the money, but the debate over the millionaires tax may be unfolding on borrowed time. Some business leaders remain staunchly opposed, arguing that the tax is a drag on the economy and will cause wealthier residents to leave the state. Research groups that support the tax recently reported that Advertisement Even if it stays in effect, it's unclear how much the tax will raise in the future. The surtax is tied to inflation, which means its income threshold has risen. In effect, the millionaires tax may Still, any repeal effort would likely take years. And for now, the tax continues to bear fruit, raising more than state officials expected. Wilson, of Transportation for Massachusetts, sees a long list of possibilities. 'There are a lot of needs across the state,' he wrote. 🧩 9 Across: 83° POINTS OF INTEREST A black bear chewed on a garbage container in Wolcott, Conn., back in 2006. Steven Valenti/Associated Press Boston and New England What do we do now? The Karen Read retrial may be over, Beth Teitell writes, but Filthy animals: Rats in Boston are spreading leptospirosis, Struggle to survive: Amid tough tariffs and harsh immigration policies, Connecticut bears: Encounters with humans are happening so frequently that some lawmakers want to start a bear-hunting season. ( Vermont visitors: Tourism businesses in the north are feeling the impact of Trump's rhetoric against Canada as Quebecers start to boycott US travel. ( Trump administration Iran options: President Trump's announcement that he could take up to two weeks to decide whether to attack Iran not only buys him time, it also gives him several new military and covert options. ( The Tok isn't really Tiking: Trump delayed the ban on TikTok by another 90 days. The new deadline for a sale is Sept. 17. ( Silent treatment: Trump honored Juneteenth in each of his first four years as president. But yesterday, he said nothing about the holiday. Instead, he complained on Truth Social that there are 'too many non-working holidays in America.' ( The Nation and the World Israel and Iran: The countries Social Security rush: Worsening finances and claims of fraud are prompting nervous recipients to take their retirement payments earlier than planned. Adding insult to injury: NFL widows who struggled to care for ex-players who had the devastating degenerative brain disease CTE say a new study is insulting and dismissive of their experience. ( Rout: The Indiana Pacers rolled to an easy Game 6 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, forcing a Game 7 Sunday night. ( VIEWPOINTS The Globe's Opinion pages featured two different takes on Israel's war with Iran. Matthew Levitt, director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, made the case that Ankit Panda, the Stanton senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Nicole Grajewski, a fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, warned that the US Meanwhile, the Globe's editorial board weighed in on the Karen Read verdict, Advertisement BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin 💘 Blind date: He's a data analyst whose family immigrated; she's a teacher who used to work in immigration law. 📖 Contradictions: Jen Hamilton, a nurse with 4.2 million followers on TikTok, picked up her Bible a couple of weeks ago and 🦁 The next 'White Lotus': Travel writer Christopher Muther tried to have a non-working vacation. But when he entered the Mahali Mzuri 📺 Top TV picks: From 'The Better Sister' to 'Forever,' here are Chris Vognar's 💦 A watery escape: Of the Charles River's 80-mile journey from Hopkinton to Boston Harbor, the last 6 miles are a pure delight. Here are 🧒 Keeping kids busy: Here's a sample of 🌮 Keeping kids fed: And after all that excitement, Kara Baskin suggests some stress-free and delicious Advertisement Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
Mint
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Mint
Sig Sauer, faced with lawsuits over a popular pistol, gets protection in New Hampshire
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Faced with mounting lawsuits over a popular pistol, New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer asked for — and got — protection in the form of a new state law that makes it harder to take the gunmaker to court. Supporters in the Republican-led Legislature said the law was needed to help a major employer. The lawsuits say Sig Sauer's P320 pistol can go off without the trigger being pulled, an allegation the company denies. The law covers all gun manufacturers and federal firearm licensees in product liability claims regarding the 'absence or presence' of four specific safety features. One of those features is an external mechanical safety that people suing Sig Sauer say should be standard on the P320, based on its design. Claims can still be filed over manufacturing defects. Those who have sued Sig Sauer in New Hampshire and elsewhere include police, federal law enforcement officers, and other experienced gun users from multiple states who say they were wounded by the gun. The manufacturer has prevailed in some cases. It is appealing two recent multimillion-dollar verdicts against it, in Pennsylvania and Georgia. George Abrahams a U.S. Army veteran and painting contractor in Philadelphia who won his case, said he had holstered his P320, put it in the pocket of his athletic pants and zipped it up before going downstairs. "All I did was come down the stairway and there was a loud explosion, and then the excruciating pain and bleeding,' he told The Associated Press in 2022. He said the bullet tore through his right thigh. The company, which employs over 2,000 people in a state with permissive gun laws, says the P320 has internal safety mechanisms and 'has undergone the most rigorous testing and evaluation of any firearm, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world." It says the problem is user error or incompatible holsters, not the design. 'Do you want people to be able to sue car manufacturers because they sell cars that don't have air conditioning?' state Rep. Terry Roy, a Republican from Deerfield, told the House during debate in May. Opponents criticized the bill as a special exemption in liability law that has never been granted to any other New Hampshire company. 'I think there is a difference between helping out a large employer and creating an exemption that actually hurts people and doesn't give them their day in court,' state Rep. David Meuse, a Democrat from Portsmouth, said in an interview. His district covers Newington, where Sig Sauer is headquartered. A 2005 federal law gives the gun industry broad legal immunity. New Hampshire was already among 32 states that have adopted gun immunity laws in some form, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Some states also have repealed gun industry immunity statutes or weakened them. A Sig Sauer executive asked New Hampshire lawmakers for help in April, two weeks after a Pennsylvania-based law firm filed its most recent lawsuit in federal court in Concord on March 26 over the design of the P320. The firm represents over 100 people who have filed such lawsuits, including more than 70 in New Hampshire. 'We're fighting all these court cases out of town and every single court case we have to fight takes away money from Granite State residents and workers that we can employ and technology,' testified Bobby Cox, vice president of governmental affairs for the company. The measure took effect once Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed it on May 23. Legislators said it doesn't apply to the current lawsuits. However, lawyers for Sig Sauer mentioned it as part of their argument to dismiss the March case or break up and transfer the claims of 22 plaintiffs to court districts where they live. A hearing on the matter is set for July 21. Ayotte's office did not respond to an AP request seeking comment, but it told The Keene Sentinel that she's 'proud to protect New Hampshire companies that create thousands of good-paying jobs from frivolous lawsuits.' 'Out-of-state trial lawyers looking to make money will not find a venue in New Hampshire,' Ayotte's office said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. Robert Zimmerman, the plaintiffs' lead attorney in Pennsylvania, said the goal of the lawsuits is to get the weapon's design changed so that it's safe for the people who use it. New Hampshire was the chosen location because federal rules allow lawsuits against a company in its home state, Zimmerman said. Those lawsuits have been assigned to one federal judge in Concord. 'Sig is trying to strategically decentralize this case and make every client go to 100 different courthouses and slow down the process for both sides to get a just outcome, which is a trial that is decided on the merits,' Zimmerman said in an interview. The lawsuits accuse Sig Sauer of defective product design and marketing and negligence. During the House debate, Roy said he owns a P320 and it's one of his favorite guns, 'but you can buy them with or without safeties.' The plaintiffs say 'the vast majority' of P320 models sold don't come with the safety, 'even as an option.' Sig Sauer says some users prefer the faster draw time granted by the absence of an external safety; others want the feature for added security. Sig Sauer offered a 'voluntary upgrade' in 2017 to include an alternate design that reduces the weight of the trigger, among other features. The plaintiffs' lawyers say the upgrade did not stop unintentional discharges. 'It's not a great look' when a manufacturer can carve out a statutory exemption for itself, but it's also not unusual, said Daniel Pi, an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill in 2023 following a deadly school shooting that gives gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers additional protections against lawsuits. This year, Tennessee lawmakers passed another bill to further limit liability for gun companies. In a different industry — pesticides — governors in North Dakota and Georgia signed laws this year providing legal protections to Bayer, the maker of Roundup, a popular weed killer. Bayer has been hit with 181,000 claims alleging that the key ingredient in Roundup causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer disputes those claims. The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill that would protect nursing homes from most lawsuits and cap damages. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry hasn't acted on it yet.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Sig Sauer, faced with lawsuits over a popular pistol, gets protection in New Hampshire
Sig Sauer, aced with lawsuits over a popular pistol, gets protection in New Hampshire (Image: AP) CONCORD: Faced with mounting lawsuits over a popular pistol, New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer asked for - and got - protection in the form of a new state law that makes it harder to take the gunmaker to court. Supporters in the Republican-led Legislature said the law was needed to help a major employer. The lawsuits say Sig Sauer's P320 pistol can go off without the trigger being pulled, an allegation the company denies. The law covers all gun manufacturers and federal firearm licensees in product liability claims regarding the "absence or presence" of four specific safety features. One of those features is an external mechanical safety that people suing Sig Sauer say should be standard on the P320, based on its design. Claims can still be filed over manufacturing defects. Those who have sued Sig Sauer in New Hampshire and elsewhere include police, federal law enforcement officers, and other experienced gun users from multiple states who say they were wounded by the gun. The manufacturer has prevailed in some cases. It is appealing two recent multimillion-dollar verdicts against it, in Pennsylvania and Georgia. George Abrahams a US Army veteran and painting contractor in Philadelphia who won his case, said he had holstered his P320, put it in the pocket of his athletic pants and zipped it up before going downstairs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 가장 편안한 농장 게임. 설치 필요 없음 Taonga 플레이하기 Undo "All I did was come down the stairway and there was a loud explosion, and then the excruciating pain and bleeding," he told The Associated Press in 2022. He said the bullet tore through his right thigh. The company, which employs over 2,000 people in a state with permissive gun laws, says the P320 has internal safety mechanisms and "has undergone the most rigorous testing and evaluation of any firearm, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world." It says the problem is user error or incompatible holsters, not the design. "Do you want people to be able to sue car manufacturers because they sell cars that don't have air conditioning?" state Rep Terry Roy, a Republican from Deerfield, told the House during debate in May. Opponents criticized the bill as a special exemption in liability law that has never been granted to any other New Hampshire company. "I think there is a difference between helping out a large employer and creating an exemption that actually hurts people and doesn't give them their day in court," state Rep David Meuse, a Democrat from Portsmouth, said in an interview. His district covers Newington, where Sig Sauer is headquartered. A 2005 federal law gives the gun industry broad legal immunity. New Hampshire was already among 32 states that have adopted gun immunity laws in some form, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Some states also have repealed gun industry immunity statutes or weakened them. Sig Sauer seeks help A Sig Sauer executive asked New Hampshire lawmakers for help in April, two weeks after a Pennsylvania-based law firm filed its most recent lawsuit in federal court in Concord on March 26 over the design of the P320. The firm represents over 100 people who have filed such lawsuits, including more than 70 in New Hampshire. "We're fighting all these court cases out of town and every single court case we have to fight takes away money from Granite State residents and workers that we can employ and technology," testified Bobby Cox, vice president of governmental affairs for the company. The measure took effect once Republican Gov Kelly Ayotte signed it on May 23. Legislators said it doesn't apply to the current lawsuits. However, lawyers for Sig Sauer mentioned it as part of their argument to dismiss the March case or break up and transfer the claims of 22 plaintiffs to court districts where they live. A hearing on the matter is set for July 21. Ayotte's office did not respond to an AP request seeking comment, but it told The Keene Sentinel that she's "proud to protect New Hampshire companies that create thousands of good-paying jobs from frivolous lawsuits." "Out-of-state trial lawyers looking to make money will not find a venue in New Hampshire," Ayotte's office said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. Robert Zimmerman, the plaintiffs' lead attorney in Pennsylvania, said the goal of the lawsuits is to get the weapon's design changed so that it's safe for the people who use it. New Hampshire was the chosen location because federal rules allow lawsuits against a company in its home state, Zimmerman said. Those lawsuits have been assigned to one federal judge in Concord. "Sig is trying to strategically decentralize this case and make every client go to 100 different courthouses and slow down the process for both sides to get a just outcome, which is a trial that is decided on the merits," Zimmerman said in an interview. Sig Sauer gets protection The lawsuits accuse Sig Sauer of defective product design and marketing and negligence. During the House debate, Roy said he owns a P320 and it's one of his favorite guns, "but you can buy them with or without safeties." The plaintiffs say "the vast majority" of P320 models sold don't come with the safety, "even as an option." Sig Sauer says some users prefer the faster draw time granted by the absence of an external safety; others want the feature for added security. Sig Sauer offered a "voluntary upgrade" in 2017 to include an alternate design that reduces the weight of the trigger, among other features. The plaintiffs' lawyers say the upgrade did not stop unintentional discharges. States, industries and immunity "It's not a great look" when a manufacturer can carve out a statutory exemption for itself, but it's also not unusual, said Daniel Pi, an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. In Tennessee, Gov Bill Lee signed a bill in 2023 following a deadly school shooting that gives gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers additional protections against lawsuits. This year, Tennessee lawmakers passed another bill to further limit liability for gun companies. In a different industry - pesticides - governors in North Dakota and Georgia signed laws this year providing legal protections to Bayer, the maker of Roundup, a popular weed killer. Bayer has been hit with 181,000 claims alleging that the key ingredient in Roundup causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer disputes those claims. The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill that would protect nursing homes from most lawsuits and cap damages. Republican Gov Jeff Landry hasn't acted on it yet.
9 hours ago
- Automotive
Sig Sauer, faced with lawsuits over a popular pistol, gets protection in New Hampshire
CONCORD, N.H. -- Faced with mounting lawsuits over a popular pistol, New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer asked for — and got — protection in the form of a new state law that makes it harder to take the gunmaker to court. Supporters in the Republican-led Legislature said the law was needed to help a major employer. The lawsuits say Sig Sauer's P320 pistol can go off without the trigger being pulled, an allegation the company denies. The law covers all gun manufacturers and federal firearm licensees in product liability claims regarding the 'absence or presence' of four specific safety features. One of those features is an external mechanical safety that people suing Sig Sauer say should be standard on the P320, based on its design. Claims can still be filed over manufacturing defects. Those who have sued Sig Sauer in New Hampshire and elsewhere include police, federal law enforcement officers, and other experienced gun users from multiple states who say they were wounded by the gun. The manufacturer has prevailed in some cases. It is appealing two recent multimillion-dollar verdicts against it, in Pennsylvania and Georgia. George Abrahams a U.S. Army veteran and painting contractor in Philadelphia who won his case, said he had holstered his P320, put it in the pocket of his athletic pants and zipped it up before going downstairs. "All I did was come down the stairway and there was a loud explosion, and then the excruciating pain and bleeding,' he told The Associated Press in 2022. He said the bullet tore through his right thigh. The company, which employs over 2,000 people in a state with permissive gun laws, says the P320 has internal safety mechanisms and 'has undergone the most rigorous testing and evaluation of any firearm, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world." It says the problem is user error or incompatible holsters, not the design. 'Do you want people to be able to sue car manufacturers because they sell cars that don't have air conditioning?' state Rep. Terry Roy, a Republican from Deerfield, told the House during debate in May. Opponents criticized the bill as a special exemption in liability law that has never been granted to any other New Hampshire company. 'I think there is a difference between helping out a large employer and creating an exemption that actually hurts people and doesn't give them their day in court,' state Rep. David Meuse, a Democrat from Portsmouth, said in an interview. His district covers Newington, where Sig Sauer is headquartered. A 2005 federal law gives the gun industry broad legal immunity. New Hampshire was already among 32 states that have adopted gun immunity laws in some form, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Some states also have repealed gun industry immunity statutes or weakened them. A Sig Sauer executive asked New Hampshire lawmakers for help in April, two weeks after a Pennsylvania-based law firm filed its most recent lawsuit in federal court in Concord on March 26 over the design of the P320. The firm represents over 100 people who have filed such lawsuits, including more than 70 in New Hampshire. 'We're fighting all these court cases out of town and every single court case we have to fight takes away money from Granite State residents and workers that we can employ and technology,' testified Bobby Cox, vice president of governmental affairs for the company. The measure took effect once Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed it on May 23. Legislators said it doesn't apply to the current lawsuits. However, lawyers for Sig Sauer mentioned it as part of their argument to dismiss the March case or break up and transfer the claims of 22 plaintiffs to court districts where they live. A hearing on the matter is set for July 21. Ayotte's office did not respond to an AP request seeking comment, but it told The Keene Sentinel that she's 'proud to protect New Hampshire companies that create thousands of good-paying jobs from frivolous lawsuits.' 'Out-of-state trial lawyers looking to make money will not find a venue in New Hampshire,' Ayotte's office said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. Robert Zimmerman, the plaintiffs' lead attorney in Pennsylvania, said the goal of the lawsuits is to get the weapon's design changed so that it's safe for the people who use it. New Hampshire was the chosen location because federal rules allow lawsuits against a company in its home state, Zimmerman said. Those lawsuits have been assigned to one federal judge in Concord. 'Sig is trying to strategically decentralize this case and make every client go to 100 different courthouses and slow down the process for both sides to get a just outcome, which is a trial that is decided on the merits,' Zimmerman said in an interview. The lawsuits accuse Sig Sauer of defective product design and marketing and negligence. During the House debate, Roy said he owns a P320 and it's one of his favorite guns, 'but you can buy them with or without safeties.' The plaintiffs say 'the vast majority' of P320 models sold don't come with the safety, 'even as an option.' Sig Sauer says some users prefer the faster draw time granted by the absence of an external safety; others want the feature for added security. Sig Sauer offered a 'voluntary upgrade' in 2017 to include an alternate design that reduces the weight of the trigger, among other features. The plaintiffs' lawyers say the upgrade did not stop unintentional discharges. 'It's not a great look' when a manufacturer can carve out a statutory exemption for itself, but it's also not unusual, said Daniel Pi, an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill in 2023 following a deadly school shooting that gives gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers additional protections against lawsuits. This year, Tennessee lawmakers passed another bill to further limit liability for gun companies. In a different industry — pesticides — governors in North Dakota and Georgia signed laws this year providing legal protections to Bayer, the maker of Roundup, a popular weed killer. Bayer has been hit with 181,000 claims alleging that the key ingredient in Roundup causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer disputes those claims. The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill that would protect nursing homes from most lawsuits and cap damages. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry hasn't acted on it yet.
