LAS VEGAS - NOVEMBER 14: The Gun Store sales associate Greg Kohler (L) looks on as Eric Brandon of Nevada tries out a semi-automatic pistol November 14, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Store manager Cliff Wilson said he's seen a large spike in sales since Barack Obama was elected president on November 4, with customers citing fears about the president-elect's record on firearms. The election, combined with a slumping economy, has contributed to an overall increase of 25-30 percent in gun sales at the store, Wilson said. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) file photo of a gun buyer (credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — Two D.C. councilmembers said Thursday that they support some form of mandate that gun owners carry liability insurance, but they would have to overcome the objections of Mayor Vincent Gray for the District of Columbia to become the nation’s first jurisdiction to require such coverage.

Councilmembers Vincent Orange and Mary Cheh said after a hearing Thursday that any bill they pursue would likely be narrower than Cheh’s initial proposal, which includes a requirement that gun owners insure themselves against intentional as well as accidental shootings.

At least a half-dozen states are considering insurance requirements for gun owners, although none of the bills has made it past the hearing stage.

Some gun-control advocates believe that insurance can help reduce gun violence by encouraging responsible gun ownership, in part through lower rates for gun owners who secure their weapons and maintain a perfect safety record. Insurance would also provide a mechanism to compensate victims of accidental or negligent shootings.

Insurance-industry representatives argued Thursday that there is no market for such coverage, noting that many accidental shootings are covered by homeowners’ policies. The industry is particularly troubled by a clause in the district’s proposal that would mandate insurance for “willful acts,” which would go beyond the scope of conventional liability insurance. Orange and Cheh, both Democrats, said they would likely remove that clause.

The district has some of the strictest gun-control laws in the nation. Handguns were banned outright in the nation’s capital until a landmark 2008 Supreme Court ruling, and since then, about 2,000 people have legally purchased firearms. The 13-member council includes 11 Democrats and two left-leaning independents, potentially making the city fertile territory for those pushing an insurance mandate.

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