PA to vote on Anti-Gun Bill Package

[Mtbkski]

E-mails sent to all. Phone calls will be made on Monday.

[Lambo]

We feel your pain! Marylanders are expecting a host of anti gun initiatives come January 2008. Most prevalent, a AW Ban!
http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=3500

[fultonCoShooter]

everyone i called knew why i was calling so we must be getting the message across

i do find it sad that some Reps numbers when called were never answered

[Garpman]

Is it even worth it to write to the dedicated antis? I mean, anyone who's ever met an anti, know they can't see logic...

So far, I've emailed the committee leaders and the undecided Reps.

[doug]

Call and write everybody, including the local newspapers and news blogs. You must educate the masses so they don't continue to elect pinheads like these in the future.

Point to cities with the most restrictive handgun laws, (New York, Chicago, D.C.) and the fact they have the highest murder rates.

Criminals clearly thrive in areas where the masses are unarmed helpless sheep.

[WhiteFeather]

Originally Posted by Garpman

Is it even worth it to write to the dedicated antis? I mean, anyone who's ever met an anti, know they can't see logic...

So far, I've emailed the committee leaders and the undecided Reps.

Yes it is still worth contacting them.

Example in point HB 760, because of so many gun owners expressing their views the anti-gun Reps sponsoring HB 760 they pulled their endorsement.

So PA gun owners voices were listen to, so it does make a difference.

Besides even IF they don’t listen and their phone lines, fax machines and email are jammed with several thousand gun owners expressing their feelings, they going to think twice about voting for these bills with possible political ramifications next election

[larrymeyer]

This is the response I received from State Representative John Evans
State Representative John Evans, Taking care of Erie and Crawford Counties - 5th District I will write and Thank Him for his vote

Fighting For What’s Right
Supporting the Second Amendment

Many of you have been reading in the newspapers and hearing on the radio and television about legislation before the House Judiciary Committee next week that will seek to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners.

As a member of that committee, we will possibly be faced with three bills next week that seek to restrict your rights.

One would limit handgun purchases to once a month.
Another would allow municipalities to craft their own gun laws.
And a third would require gun owners to immediately report lost or stolen guns.

Working For You

Hundreds of you have called my office or e-mailed me about these bills. Please know that as your elected representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, it is my responsibility to be your voice in Harrisburg.

That is why I will not be supporting any of these gun control measures, and if they are brought up for a vote in our committee, I will be voting NO. In the event any of these bills would make it to the House floor, I will still vote NO on these bills.

I firmly believe that more effective means to fight violent crime include more resources for law enforcement and being proactive when it comes to the proliferation of drugs in our communities.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or my office at the contact information below.

Thank you.

[larrymeyer]

Just came over the news that the Govenor said he's gone to make sure these bill pass as mayors all over Penn are pushing him to get ANti Gun Bill done.

[Brick]

Here is a response from Representative Mackereth to my opposition message (posted in blue).

Thank you for your email regarding legislation to limit the rights of law abiding gun owners.

Please know that I will NOT be supporting HB 18, 22, or 29. I feel the focus should be placed on prevention programs that have been proven to work rather than band-aid measures that are ineffective. I am continuing my efforts to focus on crime prevention, while protecting the rights of gun owners.

Sincerely,
Bev Mackereth

Note: Rep. Mackereth's reply is posted with her permission.

>>> "Gerald "Brick" Brickwood" 11/15/2007 8:55 PM >>>
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please enter my opposition to these measures into the record. I am a
citizen of Pennsylvania and I have used my privately owned firearms (rifles,
handguns and shotguns) for all legal purposes for many years. During that
time, no one has ever been placed in danger or under threat in any way. I
view these proposed laws as threats to my rights as enumerated by Article I
Section 21 and vouchsafed by Article I Section 25.

HB 18 would destroy one of the tenets that makes Pennsylvania's Uniform
Firearms Act one of the best laws in the nation. HB 18 would eliminate the
"Uniform" part and do away with the concept of one law for the whole
Commonwealth.

HB 22 rations a right, but beyond that requires the establishment of a
firearms registry to track purchases and purchasers and adds yet another
burden on the backs of the State Police who are already
overworked.

HB 29 threatens to punish the victims of a crime.

This is all unnecessary. Title 18, Chapter 61 (The Uniform Firearms Act)
has all the tools needed to investigate, arrest and prosecute the criminal
use of firearms, but it must be enforced.

and from Representative John Pallone:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you for contacting me relative to House Bills 18, 19, 22 and 29
and the proposed debate before the House Judiciary Committee on gun
control legislation in Pennsylvania. I always welcome comments from my
constituents and others on any issue that is before the state
legislature.

While I acknowledge and recognize that illegal gun activity, primarily
in the larger cities, for a number of reasons is out of hand, I don't
think we should throw the baby out with the bath water. In defense of
the legal gun purchasers and owners, more restrictive gun regulation
will not take "illegal" guns off the streets. This clearly is not a
problem in the Southwestern region of Pennsylvania. The majority of my
constituency is gun advocates - collectors, sportsmen (sportspersons) -
hunters for game or sport, clay pigeons or skeet shooters, target
shooting, and/or competitive marksmen (markspersons).

Since this debate started last session in the House during the Committee
of the Whole, the largest number of the contacts (both in district and
out of district) that I received were generally against more gun control
and a small number of the contacts (both in district, but more out of
the district) that I received were for more gun control. While I am
sympathetic to the problem in some areas, particularly Philadelphia, it
is not symptomatic of the entire state, particularly Southwestern PA.
Additionally, last year when similar gun control legislation was
introduced during the Committee of the Whole and this year when similar
gun control legislation was presented to this committee, when the bills
were called up for a vote by the committee and/or entire house
legislative body, the bills failed miserably.

This is one of those conservative vs. liberal issues that puts
Pennsylvania on the map as a state with a "confused electorate" - we are
a democrat (blue) state but moderate or conservative (almost red) on the
gun control issue as well as several other issues. The National
Democrat message hurts us particularly in Southwestern PA and in most
other parts of the state on this issue and you will find that the PA
Legislature has a bias towards Pro-Gun Legislation and is not generally
in support of additional gun control legislation.

It really isn't as bad as the gun control advocates want you to believe
it is and I will objectively agree that the situation may not be
completely what the pro-gun lobby wants you to believe either. And I
don't think the government is trying to strip anyone of the right to
legally own or legally possess guns. I don't have a problem supporting
reasonable gun control legislation, but I'd prefer to see the current
laws enforced before we introduce and pass any new ones.

The legal gun owners, the legal gun purchasers and the legal gun sellers
are already complying with the law and will most likely continue to
comply with the law; new, old or otherwise. The bottom line is that it
is the "illegal" gun holders, purchasers and sellers that are the
problem and in my opinion, the "illegal" gun activity will remain a
problem, even if more gun control laws are passed. Let's face it, the
law breakers aren't going to begin to follow the new laws any more than
the law breakers follow the existing law now.

Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue and thank you
for your support. Gun control is most certainly an important issue, on
both sides of the argument and I take my support or non-support of an
issue very seriously. But, I'm a realist - I just don't think this type
of legislation will stop "illegal" gun activity or gun crimes. I
strongly oppose unnecessary gun control legislation and will continue to
advocate for the sportsmen and legal gun owners, purchasers and sellers
throughout Pennsylvania. If you have any questions, require additional
information, or desire to discuss this issue in greater detail, please
do not hesitate to contact me.

Very truly yours,
John Pallone
State Representative
54th Legislative District

[Garpman]

Representative Pickett responded to my email requesting my mailing address, has anyone else gotten this, either this time or from someone else?

I also received the same message Brick did from Representative Pallone.