South Heidelburg township to vote on proposed ordinance to regulate discharge of guns

[Joe88XJ]

I recieved this from LVSA Lebanon Valley sportsmen association, this is rediculous and your attendance or phone calls to the township protesting this would be appreciated. Basicly they want to tell you when and where you can fire a gun, I will attach a copy of the proposed ordinance also. After reading the article that was in the reading eagle it appears that one resident complained about gunfire to the police and the responding officer then asked the person doing the shooting to stop(must have been engaged in a legal shooting activity otherwise the officer wouldnt have asked for said person to stop shooting) and then shooting resumed after the officer left. 1 person complains and they get this much attention out of it??!! Its outrageous...I fully intend to be at that meeting and make my voice heard and I encourage anybody else who can to do so also!

LVSA Members,


The South Heidelberg Township supervisors intend to vote on this on THURSDAY at 7:00PM. Please make your opinion known by calling the township or attend the meeting.

Our members are law abiding citizens that enjoy the rich heritage of our shooting sports. Many of us utilize the ranges at LVSA or even set up ranges on our own land. The officers and board of directors of LVSA wanted to make the membership aware of a proposed ordinance in South Heidelberg Township.

South Heidelberg Township supervisors voted 3-0 to advertise an ordinance regulating the discharge of firearms. We have attached the proposed ordinance for your review. The public notification was made in the Reading Eagle on 8/9/13. The following link will take you to the article: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=501543

The South Heidelberg Board of Supervisors will be discussing and voting on this ordinance at the Board of Supervisors meeting on 9/12/13 at 7:00PM. 555A Mountain Home Road, Sinking Spring, PA 19608. http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Muni/South...s/default.aspx

The Firearms Industry Consulting Group has sent a letter to the township about their proposed ordinance. A link to this letter is : http://blog.princelaw.com/2013/08/22...rge-ordinance/

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action has been advised of this ordinance and will be sending an e-mail alert to their membership in the next week.

An e-mail has been sent to PA Representative Jim Cox and PA Senator Mike Folmer informing them of the activity of the township in their district.

Should you feel compelled to voice your opinion on this matter, your elected representatives can be reached at the following numbers. It may be beneficial for you to let your elected officials know what you think of the proposed ordinance. Attending the Board of Supervisors meeting on 9/12/13 at 7:00PM is another way to get the information first hand.

South Heidelberg Township: 610-678-9652

Chairman: Richard E. Hummel

Vice Chairman: Dennis E. Mulally

Member (SEC./Treas): David A Schaeffer

Manager: Ron R. Seaman

PA Representative Jim Cox: 610-670-0139

http://www.repjimcox.com/

'jimcox@repjimcox.com'

PA Senator Mike Folmer: 877-222-1897

http://senatorfolmer.com/#

'mfolmer@pasen.gov'


Sincerely,

Lebanon Valley Sportsmen Association

General Information

www.lebanonvalleysportsmen.com

Here is the proposed ordinance...

ORDINANCE NO. _____________

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH HEIDELBERG, BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, REGULATING THE DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH HEIDELBERG.

PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY CONTAINED IN THE SECOND CLASS TOWNSHIP CODE, AS AMENDED, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SOUTH HEIDELBERG TOWNSHIP, BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, DOES HEREBY ENACT AND ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Discharge of firearms prohibited.

Except as provided in Section 2 of this Ordinance, it shall be unlawful within the Township of South Heidelberg for any person to discharge a firearm other than:

A) Constables, sheriffs, prison or jail or game wardens, or their deputies, policemen of this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions, or other law-enforcement officers while engaged in their official duties including, but not limited to, training sessions.

B) Officers or employees of the United States duly authorized to carry a firearm while engaged in their official duties.

C) Any person engaged in the business of manufacturing, repairing, or dealing in firearms, or the agent or representative of any such person, discharging such a firearm in the usual or ordinary course of such business.

SECTION 2. Exceptions.

A person may discharge a firearm:

A) while hunting or other similar activities regulated by and conducted in accordance with (1) Pennsylvania Title 34 (known as the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Law); and (2) by the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game Commission;

B) at any indoor or outdoor commercial shooting range;

C) at an incorporated gun club or a membership club (including a sportsmen’s association) owned, leased or occupied its members and guests (not the general public) operating for recreational, social, fraternal, religious, political or athletic purposes (not a tavern or restaurant);


D) at a camp operated by a non-profit agency;

E) when necessary in defense of human life or property;

F) to kill a dangerous animal; or

G) a farmer(s) or other agricultural laborer(s) protecting crops or livestock or engaged in the slaughtering of livestock in furtherance of business operations with a single projectile firearm.

SECTION 3. Violations and penalties.

Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this Ordinance, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a Magisterial District Judge in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal procedure, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed ninety (90) days. Each day that a violation of this Ordinance continues or each section of this Ordinance which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.

SECTION 4. Repeal of Ordinances.

Any ordinance or part of ordinances conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed insofar as they are inconsistent with this Ordinance’s provisions.

SECTION 5. Severability.

If any article, section, subsection, provision, regulation, limitation, restriction, sentence, clause, phrase or word in this Ordinance, is, for any reason declared to be illegal, unconstitutional or invalid, by any Court of competent jurisdiction, this decision shall not affect or impair the validity of the Ordinance as a whole, or any other article, section, subsection, provision, regulation, limitation, restriction, sentence, clause, phrase, word, or remaining portion of the within Ordinance. The Board of Supervisors of the Township of South Heidelberg, Pennsylvania, hereby declares that it would have adopted the within Ordinance and each article, section, subsection, provision, regulation, limitation, restriction, sentence, clause, phrase and word thereof, irrespective of the limitations, restrictions, sentences, clauses, phrases, or word that may be declared illegal, unconstitutional or invalid.

SECTION 6. Effective Date.

This Ordinance shall become effective five (5) days from the date of enactment.





DULY ENACTED AND ORDAINED this _____ day of ________________, 2013.


BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE
TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH HEIDELBERG

Attest: _____________________________
Richard E. Hummel, Chairman

_________________________ (SEAL) ______________________________
Secretary Dennis E. Mulally, Chairman

______________________________
David A. Schaeffer, Supervisor

[PAMedic=F|A=]

No exemption for self defense?

Edit: yep I missed it.

[Curmudgeon]

No exemption for self defense?

Its there.

[twency]

No exemption for self defense?

Its there.

Yep, that's not the problem.

E) when necessary in defense of human life or property;

[mbinpa]

In addition to self defence, there are also exceptions for indoor/outdoor ranges and clubs.
(B, C, and D)

I am not sure where South Heidelburg township is but the problem in the entire SE quadrant of PA is the growth of population spilling into what had once been - and often still is - rural property.

It is not only shooting that is under attack but farming (manure smell), travel (tractors and buggies) and the other aspects of rural life.

Just because your granddad was able to shoot at tin cans off the back porch doesn't mean it is still safe to do so.

[Gunowner99]

I'm a member and received the e-mail. South Heidelberg is Western Berks more or less. I'll be at the meeting as well. It's mostly rural there, at least in my mind, lots of backyards to shoot into woods from what I see.

[R.W.J]

Somebody needs to tell them there are no "Game Wardens" In Pennsylvania. We never had Game Wardens in PA.

[BenelliGrl]

http://readingeagle.com/mobile/article.aspx?id=510781

It didn't pass. I don't understand how one person can cause such a problem for everyone else. South Heidelburg is still a relatively rural area and I'm glad the ordinance was thrown out.

[Gunowner99]

The voices of the many were heard thank God!

[Pilot321]

I am not sure where South Heidelburg township is but the problem in the entire SE quadrant of PA is the growth of population spilling into what had once been - and often still is - rural property.

It is not only shooting that is under attack but farming (manure smell), travel (tractors and buggies) and the other aspects of rural life.

Just because your granddad was able to shoot at tin cans off the back porch doesn't mean it is still safe to do so.

When was the last time anyone was hurt by someone target shooting, or plinking off the back porch?