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Lack of gun reform in Pennsylvania frustrating advocates at Capitol


HARRISBURG — Relatives of those slain by gun violence brought their stories to the state Capitol on Monday as advocates for gun law changes admit they are getting frustrated by the lack of action by the General Assembly.

Laura Fletcher of Moms Demand Action said the impact of gun violence reverberates well beyond those physically injured or killed by guns.

“Every single bullet that lands in a human affects dozens of people,” she said.

Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said state officials are working to combat gun violence in Pennsylvania, noting 1,600 people were killed by guns in 2017.

The Department of Health is now trying to use some of the methods it used in response to the opioid epidemic to better respond to the epidemic of gun violence, she said. That includes the creation of a Division of Violence Prevention in the Department of Health, the creation of a violence dashboard to better track data and the creation of a Suicide Death Review committee.

While Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration has been responding to the gun violence problem, advocates are getting impatient with lawmakers who haven’t moved legislation to combat gun violence, said Marybeth Christiansen of Moms Demand Action.

Legislation that would call for universal background checks or allow for Extreme Risk Protection Orders — to make it easier to get firearms out of the hands of those who pose a danger to themselves or others — are supported by the public, but they’ve been stalled in the General Assembly.

“We’re getting frustrated,” said Christiansen, a volunteer Pennsylvania chapter lead for Moms Demand Action. “If they don’t have our backs, we’re going to go for their jobs.”

In September, House Judiciary Committee chairman Rob Kauffman, a Republican from Franklin County, said the Extreme Risk Protection Order bill won’t be put on the judiciary committee calendar as long as he’s chairman of that committee. Gun rights groups have opposed the legislation because they feel it doesn’t provide enough protection for gun owners against frivolous or unwarranted claims that they pose a danger.

Christiansen said with the legislation stalled in Kauffman’s committee in the House, gun control groups may look to the Senate to move on the issue.

An Extreme Risk Protection Order bill, Senate Bill 90, was introduced in the state almost a year ago. The Senate judiciary committee held two days of hearings on gun-related legislation in September. But it’s not clear when the committee will vote on any gun reforms.

Sen. Lisa Baker, a Republican from Luzerne County, the chairwoman of the judiciary committee, said she is looking for legislation that will get support from people on both sides of the gun debate.

“We are not closed to the possibility of considering and moving bills,” she said. “However, there is not much to be gained by putting up a bill that draws solid opposition from one side or the other. We continue to look for potential areas where an agreement might be negotiated.”

Catie Jacobson, a 10th grader at Lewisburg Area High School, said the proliferation of guns amplifies the danger to teens.

“In my community, a large number of families have guns, putting teenagers struggling with mental health and victims of domestic violence at risk,” she said.

Almost 60 percent of victims of fatal domestic violence were slain by firearms, she said. And in 80 percent of teen suicides involving firearms, the guns belonged to a family member, she said.

Jessica Oehme, a Lancaster County resident whose father, Richard Oehme, committed suicide with a firearm in 2017, was among those who spoke at Monday’s Moms Demand Action rally.

Oehme said her father bought the gun he used to kill himself the day of his suicide. “I do believe lives can be saved” by gun law reforms, she said.

John Finnerty reports from the Harrisburg Bureau for The Meadville Tribune and other Pennsylvania newspapers owned by CNHI. Email him at jfinnerty@cnhi.com and follow him on Twitter @cnhipa.
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