[WhiteFeather]

Here is "fast" Eddie Rendall press release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 22, 2007


GOVERNOR RENDELL JOINS PENNSYLVANIA MAYORS IN A CALL TO ACTION AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell joined with mayors from across Pennsylvania today to call upon the General Assembly to address the growing trend of violence with common-sense gun laws.

“From Scranton to Carlisle, York to Philadelphia and Lancaster to Pittsburgh, our mayors know first-hand the devastation that illegal guns and straw purchasers are having in our neighborhoods and communities,” the Governor said. “As these mayors know – because they are here – this is not just a Philadelphia or Pittsburgh problem.”

Gun violence is a statewide problem that knows no geographical boundaries. In 2005, the rate of gun homicides rose twice as fast in the rest of the state as it did in Allegheny and Philadelphia counties. Eighty-three percent of all homicides in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Reading and York were committed with firearms. And, on average, more than one person is killed each day in Philadelphia, usually with a firearm.

Governor Rendell commended the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, which organized today’s event. In January, the group formed a gun violence task force to focus on finding common ground among its varied members to make a difference in Pennsylvania’s communities.

“The League’s commitment to finding common-sense solutions to a statewide problem, while putting aside partisan difference, is admirable,” the Governor said.

Between 2005 and 2006, robberies with firearms were up 77 percent in Erie, 57 percent in Allentown, 36 percent in Williamsport, and 28 percent in Reading, the Governor said.

The Governor urged the General Assembly to:
Help prosecutors lock up “straw purchasers” by requiring lost and stolen guns to be reported to law enforcement.
Enable local communities to enact their own restrictions on the flow, distribution and use of handguns.
Upgrade the penalty for possession of a stolen gun to a felony, and
Reduce gun trafficking by enacting a one handgun a month law.
“Such legislation will put a stop to gun runners – the so-called ‘straw purchasers’ who sell so many of the guns used in crimes – and it will put no burden on lawful gun owners who can still purchase 12 handguns a year – or 24 handguns if they are married,” he said.

The Governor said Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support tougher laws to control the availability of guns. According to a recent survey by Lake Research Partners, 71 percent of Pennsylvania voters – and 61 percent of gun owners – support a statewide limit on handgun purchases to one handgun per month. The survey found that 81 percent support legislation requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen guns.