Subsidies and Tax Breaks: What You Don’t Hear About In The Debate Over Guns.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook Tragedy, an ardent debate about gun laws is taking place throughout the country. These debates are interesting for what they don’t mention: the economics of the gun industry itself and its subsidization by through various tax credits, direct spending, and legal forbearance. One form of protection comes in the little known but pernicious, Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act: a federal statute that limits the liability of gun sellers for wrongful conduct in the design and marketing of their weapons. To talk about this legislation, challenges to it, and the history of products liability lawsuits against gun manufacturers and distributers is law professor, Allen Rostron, a former Senior Staff Attorney at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.  Host Peter Hoffman of the National Lawyers Guild brings us the first of two shows on the debate over guns.