Mayoral candidate Evans vows to sue gun industry

State Rep. Dwight Evans said that as major, he would sue for the costs of gun violence. With Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell still unsure of his stance on the issue he helped bring to the forefront, State Representative and mayoral candidate Dwight Evans issued a press release yesterday stating that his first order of business if elected mayor of Philadelphia would be to file a lawsuit against gun manufacturers. In the statement, Evans -- one of five candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in the May 18 primary -- expressed his strong desire to seek legal action while daring his fellow candidates to make a similar promise. "This isn't Dodge City, it's the City of Brotherly Love," Evans said. "As mayor, my first act will be to sue gun manufacturers on behalf of all of us. With that in mind, I challenge every one of my opponents to commit to suing those gun manufacturers if he or she is elected mayor." Evans explained in the statement that his legislative efforts in Harrisburg -- including a requirement for gun locks and the "One Gun a Month" program which limits gun purchases -- would have difficulty surviving without the help of a gun-related lawsuit. The mayoral candidate has introduced similar legislation in the past, but officials in Harrisburg and the National Rifle Association have shot it down, claiming that limited gun sales would hurt hunters and law-abiding gun enthusiasts. Like many other urban areas in America, Philadelphia has long been plagued by gun violence. In 1996, 80 percent of the city's homicides were committed using guns. For more than a year, Rendell had contemplated suing the gun industry as part of a nationwide plan that he helped conceive. But recently, he has been reluctant to join cities like Chicago and New Orleans in trying to hold gun manufacturers financially responsible for the effects of gun violence. David Sirota, Evans' deputy campaign manager, said the candidate hopes to build on the foundation of gun control Rendell has established, adding that Evans' stepping forward will help raise the bar in this year's election. "We have a mayor who has taken some leadership on this issue, but it's a matter of taking it one more step," Sirota said. "We hope that the other candidates take our lead." Recently, Evans has drawn attention for his support of riverboat gambling legislation in Harrisburg, but his opponents claim that yesterday's release could be used as a tool to help improve his relatively low public recognition. "[Evans] has certainly tried to make his mark on the campaign by advocating riverboat gambling to pay for education," said David Dougherty, campaign manager for Democratic candidate Happy Fernandez. "So he might be looking for another way to distinguish himself." Dougherty noted that Fernandez is also focused on gun violence prevention, adding that she would consider filing a lawsuit against gun manufacturers in addition to other proactive measures. "She's committed to trying to bring some sanity to the process which allows criminals and kids to have access to firearms, and this lawsuit can be one of these elements in addressing one of these problems," Dougherty said. "But it's a more complex problem than can be solved by a lawsuit." Evans' campaign manager denied that the candidate's strong stance on gun control is based on any ulterior motives in connection with the race to City Hall. "It transcends the election," Sirota said. "This has been a constant battle for Dwight. Now that he's running for mayor, he's taking the lead to push for this." Bob Barnett, campaign director for Republican candidate Sam Katz, dismissed Evans' statement as an insignificant factor in the election, adding that Katz would also ponder a lawsuit if elected. Candidates Marty Weinberg, John Street and John White were not available for comment.

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