Yaw is a member of the Judiciary committee and on our side. But, that being said our guidance is still required. Please take note of the Public hearing below. I think it behooves us to learn more about this and if possible to submit written comments.

Firearms Debate – The recent shooting in Newtown, Connecticut was a horrible event, which had many contributing factors. Unlike some, I think taking a knee-jerk reaction and passing new, more stringent gun laws is the wrong approach. Instead, we should focus on providing necessary treatment to the mentally ill who commit these lawless acts.

In the Senate, we are attempting to address some of the underlying issues, which led to events like Newtown, Connecticut. The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, chaired by Sen. Lisa Baker, and the Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Folmer, will hold a public hearing on February 13th in Harrisburg on this important topic. A proposal put forth by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati to dramatically increase the amount of funding available for grants that schools could utilize for school safety and violence prevention initiatives, including training and hiring armed guards to protect their students, teachers and administrators, will also be discussed. Senator Stewart Greenleaf introduced Senate Resolution 6, which would establish a Task Force on the Prevention of Violence to examine proposals to strengthen the state's mental health laws. This Resolution was adopted by the Senate on January 29th.

State Representative Daryl Metcalfe recently introduced a legislative proposal, House Bill 357, in the House of Representatives that would make any new federal gun control laws unenforceable within the Commonwealth. I concur with this legislation as it relates to the new laws proposed.

In general, I have always believed the Second Amendment protects the rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms and that the type of protection owned by the citizens should not arbitrarily be determined or restricted by the government. As is often said, "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns!" I stand ready to oppose any legislation which would impact the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens.