2 gun-control bills introduced in Council

[WhiteFeather]

This Philly council people are way over the line. They break state laws (a criminal act) to enact their own laws, get shut down by the courts, do they behave reasonable? No they go break the state law again. So why shouldn't any one obey any state law they don't agree with? We have a rule of law, not a ruling "elected" class above the laws of the commonwealth of PA.
This council people are so lucky the DA of Philly won't arrest them and charge them with a criminal act.

Why doesn’t this Philly council hold the courts and DA account for plea bargain firearm charges away? Especially from repeat violent criminals. All the existing firearm law are enough to deal with the problem except they are NOT being enforced. If you think my statement is out of line read this report, it illustrates the uncomfortable truth, with FACTS, not feelings.
PA Firearms Laws & PA Commission on Sentencing Reports
http://acslpa.org/n-legislative/pa_firearms_laws.htm

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/31154359.html

2 gun-control bills introduced in Council

The same Philadelphia City Council members who have challenged the state's supremacy on gun laws introduced two new gun-control bills yesterday, one aimed at closing what critics say is a big loophole in the secondhand gun market.
Under legislation proposed by Council members Donna Reed Miller and Darrell L. Clarke, anyone reselling a gun would have have to run the sale through a licensed dealer, who would run a background check on the buyer.

A similar state law already exists, but critics say it is too narrow and has no effect on individuals selling guns to other individuals.

"We're looking at all the avenues and cracks in the system," Miller said.

The other bill introduced yesterday would raise the city penalty for carrying a gun illegally from $300 to $1,900 and would allow police to confiscate a car driven by someone illegally carrying a gun - regardless of ownership of the car.

Clarke and Miller introduced five measures this spring that have been challenged by the National Rifle Association and others. Three laws that were upheld by Common Pleas Court were the subject of a hearing yesterday in which the NRA is seeking an injunction on their enforcement. The laws would require gun owners to report their lost or stolen weapons to police and would bar gun ownership by people who are the subject of a protection-from-abuse order or are deemed a danger to themselves or others.

The two Council members also have sued the state Assembly in a separate action, seeking authority to enforce seven 2007 gun laws without state approval. Clarke and Miller lost the first round in Commonwealth Court last month and vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court.

C. Scott Shields, the attorney representing the NRA in those cases, predicted the new bills, if they became law, would be challenged and fail because the state was the only entity authorized to regulate firearms.

"They already have the tools to enforce this stuff. They just choose not to use them," Shields said. "I'm just confounded that these people are pressing ahead."

In other Council action, City Councilman Frank DiCicco introduced legislation to change the zoning around the Gallery at Market East to allow for a casino, should the Foxwoods Casino plan to build at the Gallery be approved by the City Planning Commission, City Council, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Mayor Nutter joined DiCicco after the meeting to insist that neighborhood concerns would be addressed over the course of a planning process that is expected to take six months or more.

"This is a new opportunity for us to take a second look at how we revitalize an essential component of our Center City corridor," Nutter said. "There was no other idea or proposal out there that could have the same revitalization impact."

Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell proposed a change to the City Charter that would automatically promote, posthumously, any police officer or firefighter who was killed or died in the line of duty. Whether such promotion would affect survivor benefits will be a subject for hearings, Blackwell's office said.

For the charter change to take effect, voters would have to approve such a measure in next year's primary, at the earliest.

Under the current police contract, officers killed "performing heroic acts" in the line of duty have their pensions calculated at the next-highest rank for their surviving beneficiaries, who are eligible for 50 percent of a deceased officer's pension.

Council members Bill Green, Curtis Jones Jr. and Maria Quiñones Sánchez want to require the 20 percent of city workers who still get paper checks to switch to direct deposit, and to put an end to paper check stubs for everyone.

They say the cost of paper checks and paper direct-deposit statements exceeds $500,000 annually, including paper, printing, postage, labor, and transaction fees. Employees would be given four months to switch, and direct-deposit statements would be sent out electronically.

[kx90]

Oi vey!

"The state has the same law but, we believe it to be ineffective so we're going to pass the same thing here in Philly to show that we are doing something..."

Blah blah blah...

[Carnes]

...would allow police to confiscate a car driven by someone illegally carrying a gun - regardless of ownership of the car.

So some thug steals my car while I am visiting Philly, then the police get to confiscate it because the thug had an illegal gun when he was stopped? Why do these legislators refuse to think, even for a second before they propose laws that are so blatantly stupid.

The fact that people in positions of power even think they can get away with this crap puts me in a really foul mood.

[LittleRedToyota]

also being discussed here:

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/general-2...cil-again.html

[Pro2A]

So some thug steals my car while I am visiting Philly, then the police get to confiscate it because the thug had an illegal gun when he was stopped? Why do these legislators refuse to think, even for a second before they propose laws that are so blatantly stupid.

The fact that people in positions of power even think they can get away with this crap puts me in a really foul mood.

I was thinking the same thing... "Ah that 4th Amendment... it's pesky and irritating. Lets make a law around it, then it'll be ok".

[gprimr1]

How about arresting the person, charging him with carrying a weapon and grand theft auto and return the car to the owner?

[jerkin]

They can't just go returning something for free, they have to have a sheriffs sale. How else do you expect them to pay for their mass transit now that those damn feds shut down the toll I-80 plan that was going to bleed us dry?

[Carnes]

How about arresting the person, charging him with carrying a weapon and grand theft auto and return the car to the owner?

No, no! That is completely unacceptable! That would mean that we have to enforce laws we already have. No, our Nanny State Leaders require that we get more new legislation, MUCH MORE legislation!!! We have not created an environment where our leaders can have any given person arrested at any given time for violating one of the countless laws... We are getting close, but not close enough! HUZZAH!

[ihunt49]

The PAG needs to bitch slap the City Council!

[PocketProtector]

The anti's are relentless, they will not ever stop. Because they hope that eventually someone like O gets in and then everything changes.