PA Gun owners action alert – need your help

[WhiteFeather]

Some of you know Kim Stolfer and some of you don’t. Brief history: Kim Stolfer has been very active in defense of our 2nd amendment / Article one, Section 21 constitutional firearm rights for the 14 plus years that I have had the pleasure to know him. Kim Stolfer is the Chairman of the Allegheny County Sportsman League www.acslpa.org and Chairman of Firearms Owners Against Crime www.foac-pac.org (FOAC does the Pro gun voters Guides) and is vice Chairman of PSA. Which means Kim is very active volunteering huge amounts of his time with no pay, fighting to protect and defend our firearms rights.

Kim called me late evening on 7-5-07 and big things are happening in Harrisburg really fast (meaning on 7-6-07). Because of the deliberations over the budget, a political window has opened creating unique “opportunity” for us to move some pro gun legislation forward and gun owners help is urgently requested.

This might be the best opportunity we have for the next 1 ½ years till there is a new sitting legislature to push some pro-gun legislation into law.

On 7-6-07 we need EVERYONE to send email, calls state Reps, not just your own Rep but all of them if possible, do what ever you can do.

Here is part of email that Kim Stolfer sent me on evening of 7-5-07 hence the reason for this post and asking for your urgent help.

I just got off the telephone with (a very pro gun state rep) and he conveyed to me some exciting news. It appears that Senate Bill 623 is headed to the house floor tomorrow for some action, wherein it is facing several amendments. Initially, Senate Bill 623 deals only with corrections officers in the use of force. It passed the Senate unanimously. It is now in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and therein lies a cautionary opportunity for us in many ways to get some of our defects in current criminal law corrected.

The amendments this legislation faces are a potpourri of sentencing enhancements, and an expansion of focusing on the criminals. That is for the most part, except for House Bill 29, which is crafted as an amendment in two forms, the first form is a complete bill with the mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms, the second form is only contained the mandatory retention of lost or stolen firearms information in a database by the Pennsylvania State police. The other House bills that have been crafted into an amendment for this legislation are as follows, house Bill 19, House Bill 21, House Bill 24, House Bill 1392, House Bill 1212, and last but not least is House Bill 641(known by us as Castle doctrine Steve Cappelli's bill).

The interesting thing is that House Bill 641 and crafted as an amendment appears to be the entire package of language that we crafted into the form of the Castle doctrine for Steve Cappelli.

My thoughts are that other than House Bill 29 in its complete form, there is nothing really here in this package of language and legislation that cause me to oppose the passage of Senate Bill 623 if they are incorporated into this legislation in amendment form. That is of course if the Castle doctrine legislation by Steve Cappelli, House Bill 641, is incorporated into this legislation.

I would greatly appreciate your help and consideration of these issues as I'm going to be trying to put together an e-mail for the legislature to state our position on House Bill 29, the mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns and Senate Bill 623.Kim Stolfer
ACSL, Legislative Committee, Chairman
www.acslpa.org
FOAC, Chairman
www.foac-pac.org
PSA, Legislative Committee, Vice-Chairman
(412) 221-3346, Home Phone
(412) 257-1099, Home Fax
(412) 352-5018, Cell

What Kim told me on the phone and you can gather from Kim’s email is we want to attach the castle doctrine (HB 641) amendment, a stripped down version of HB 29 with no mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns.


Very large numbers of pro-gun state Reps are willing to step up make this happen and help pass these amendments and stop the anti-gun one but they need to hear from the gun owners on 7-6-07, this chance would not have been possible with out the April 24, 2007 pro-gun news conference where grassroots gun owners expressed their deep and continued support for our freedoms by attending and then personally contacting all the state Reps expressing your pro-gun views.

So please help!! IF you need a list of legislators that need to be contacted for passage please send me an email whitefeather1003@yahoo.com and I will send you phone numbers and emails addresses, if they have email, for the Reps that really need to hear from gun owners.


My apology for the poor sentence structure as I stayed up late and wrote this when normally would have been snoozing, and I will post updates from Kim Stolfer when I get it. (fixed some of the grammer)

We just celebrated our freedom on July 4, that our founding fathers paid for, now it is our time to act and get some of our firearms freedoms back, please help.

[djturnz]

Ok, I typed up a letter to send out in an email. I also emailed you about getting an email address list. As soon as I get that from you, I will start sending.

[WhiteFeather]

Here is list of the pro-gun Reps that need to be contacted.
Red ones the bottom of the list are some of the 55 (2006) elected Reps that need the letters most as they have not decided which way they will go on the gun issuse.


David G. Argall dargall@pahousegop.com
Matthew E. Baker mbaker@pahousegop.com
Bob Bastian bbastian@pahousegop.com
Robert E. Belfanti Jr. rbelfant@pahouse.net
Kerry A. Benninghoff kbenning@pahousegop.com
Karen Beyer kbeyer@pahousegop.com
Scott W. Boyd sboyd@pahousegop.com
Steven W. Cappelli scappell@pahousegop.com
James E. Casorio Jr. jcasorio@pahouse.net
Martin T. Causer mcauser@pahousegop.com
Paul I. Clymer pclymer@pahousegop.com
H. Scott Conklin hconklin@pahouse.net
Jim Cox jcox@pahousegop.com
Thomas C. Creighton tcreight@pahousegop.com
Bryan Cutler bcutler@pahousegop.com
Peter J. Daley II pdaley@pahouse.net
Craig A. Dally cdally@pahousegop.com
Tony Deluca tdeluca@pahouse.net
Gordon Denlinger gdenling@pahousegop.com
Frank Dermody fdermody@pahouse.net
H. William Deweese wdeweese@pahouse.net
Gene DiGirolamo gdigirol@pahousegop.com
Brian L. Ellis bellis@pahousegop.com
John R. Evans jevans@pahousegop.com
Russ Fairchild rfairchi@pahousegop.com
Will Gabig wgabig@pahousegop.com
Richard A. Geist rgeist@pahousegop.com
Camille "Bud" George cgeorge@pahouse.net
Marc J. Gergely mgergely@pahouse.net
Jaret Gibbons jgibbons@pahousegop.com
Robert W. Godshall rgodshal@pahousegop.com
Neal P. Goodman ngoodman@pahouse.net
Richard Grucela rgrucela@pahouse.net
Gary Haluska ghaluska@pahouse.net
Michael K. Hanna mhanna@pahouse.net
R. Ted Harhai tharhai@pahouse.net
Patrick J Harkins pharkins@pahouse.net
Kate Harper kharper@pahousegop.com
C. Adam Harris aharris@pahousegop.com
Arthur O Hershey ahershey@pahousegop.com
Dick L. Hess dhess@pahousegop.com
Scott E. Hutchinson shutchin@pahousegop.com
Tom H. Killion tkillion@pahousegop.com
Bill Kortz bkortz@pahouse.net
Nick Kotik nkotik@pahouse.net
Beverly Mackereth bmackere@pahousegop.com
John A. Maher jmaher@pahousegop.com
Sandra Major smajor@pahousegop.com
Ronald S. Marisco rmarsico@pahousegop.com
Joseph F. Markosek jmarkose@pahouse.net
Jim Marshall Jmarshall@pahousegop.com
Keith R. McCall kmccall@pahouse.net
Fred McIlhattan fmcilhat@pahousegop.com
Bob Mensch bmensch@pahousegop.com
Daryl Metcalfe dmetcalf@pahousegop.com
David R Millard dmillard@pahousegop.com
T. Mark Mustio mmustio@pahousegop.com
Jerry L. Nailor jnailor@pahousegop.com
Steven R. Nickol snickol@pahousegop.com
John E. Pallone jpallone@pahouse.net
Scott Perry sperry@pahousegop.com
Joseph A. Petrarca jpetrarc@pahouse.net
Thomas C. Petrone tpetrone@pahouse.net
Merle H. Phillips mphillip@pahousegop.com
Tina Pickett tpickett@pahousegop.com
Jeffrey P. Pyle jpyle@pahousegop.com
Sean M. Ramaley sramaley@pahouse.net
Kathy L. Rapp klrapp@pahousegop.com
Harry A. Readshaw hreadsha@pahouse.net
Dave Reed dreed@pahousegop.com
Douglas G. Reichley dreichle@pahousegop.com
Brad Roae broae@pahousegop.com
Todd Rock trock@pahousegop.com
Samuel E. Rohrer srohrer@pahousegop.com
Chris Ross rep-ross@kennett.net
Chris Sainato csainato@pahouse.net
Stanley E. Saylor ssaylor@pahousegop.com
Mario M. Scavello mscavell@pahousegop.com
John Siptroth jsiptrot@pahouse.net
Samuel H. Smith shsmith@pahousegop.com
Timothy Solobay tsolobay@pahouse.net
Curtis G. Sonney csonney@pahousegop.com
Edward G. Staback estaback@pahouse.net
Jess M. Stairs jstairs@pahousegop.com
David J. Steil dsteil@pahousegop.com
Jerry A. Stern jstern@pahousegop.com
Richard R. Stevenson rstevens@pahousegop.com
Dan A. Surra dsurra@pahouse.net
Thomas A. Tangretti ttangret@pahouse.net
Katie True ktrue@pahousegop.com
Michael Turzai mturzai@pahousegop.com
Randy Vulakovich rvulakov@pahousegop.com
Don Walko dwalko@pahouse.net
Jim Wansacz jwansacz@pahouse.net
Katharine M. Watson kwatson@pahousegop.com
Jesse White jwhite@pahouse.net
Edward P. Wojnaroski Sr ewojnaro@pahouse.net
Tom Yewcic tyewcic@pahouse.net
John C. Bear jbear@pahousegop.com
Karen Boback kboback@pahousegop.com
Joseph F. Brennan jbrennan@pahouse.net
Michele Brooks mbrooks@pahousegop.com
Mike Fleck mfleck@pahousegop.com
Susan C. "Sue" Helm shelm@pahousegop.com
David R. Kessler dkessler@pahousegop.com
Bryan R. Lentz blentz@pahouse.net
Mark Longietti mlongiet@pahouse.net
Carl W. Mantz cmantz@pahousegop.com
Duane Milne dmilne@pahousegop.com
Dan Moul dmoul@pahousegop.com
Jay R Moyer jmoyer@pahousegop.com
Thomas P Murt tmurt@pahousegop.com
Tony J Payton Jr. tpayton@pahouse.net
Michael Peifer mpeifer@pahousegop.com
Marguerite Quinn mquinn@pahousegop.com
John P. Sabatina Jr. jsabatin@pahouse.net
Tim Seip tseip@pahouse.net
Barbara Mcilvaine Smith bsmith@pahouse.net
Ken Smith ksmith@pahouse.net
Rick Taylor rtaylor@pahouse.net
Mike Vereb mvereb@pahousegop.com

[WhiteFeather]

Mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms has never done anything to reduce crime anywhere it has been enacted. It’s a "feel good" measure that puts firearms owners at risk only, by over zealous anti-gun prosecutors.

Here is link to short video on how it works from a real live meeting to enact gun control laws in a actual Commifornia council session, plus reasons in other areas why it does nothing from people pushing for new laws. http://acslpa.org/n-legislative/Harr...commentary.htm


Just stress in your letter we don't need anymore burden put on gun owners just on prosecuting criminals.

Here was the April 2007 write up on anti-gun bills link, might get some ideas why some of these original bill are very bad idea for gun owners, plus might find some ideas to copy clip for your letters.
http://acslpa.org/n-legislative/Harr...f%204-2007.htm


Thanks for all of your help.

[djturnz]

I don't know if this does anybody any good but I compiled all the email addresses into an OUTLOOK friendly list seperated with semi-colons. If your email service requires commas instead, just copy and paste it into a word document and use the replace function to substitute a comma for a semi-colon.

I hope I got them all right. I do know that DKessler bounced back to me.


dargall@pahousegop.com; mbaker@pahousegop.com; bbastian@pahousegop.com; rbelfant@pahouse.net; kbenning@pahousegop.com; kbeyer@pahousegop.com; sboyd@pahousegop.com; scappell@pahousegop.com; jcasorio@pahouse.net; mcauser@pahousegop.com; pclymer@pahousegop.com; hconklin@pahouse.net;
jcox@pahousegop.com; tcreight@pahousegop.com; bcutler@pahousegop.com; pdaley@pahouse.net; cdally@pahousegop.com; tdeluca@pahouse.net; gdenling@pahousegop.com; fdermody@pahouse.net; wdeweese@pahouse.net; gdigirol@pahousegop.com; bellis@pahousegop.com; jevans@pahousegop.com; rfairchi@pahousegop.com; wgabig@pahousegop.com; rgeist@pahousegop.com; cgeorge@pahouse.net; mgergely@pahouse.net; jgibbons@pahousegop.com; rgodshal@pahousegop.com;
ngoodman@pahouse.net; rgrucela@pahouse.net; ghaluska@pahouse.net; mhanna@pahouse.net; tharhai@pahouse.net; pharkins@pahouse.net; kharper@pahousegop.com; aharris@pahousegop.com;
ahershey@pahousegop.com; dhess@pahousegop.com; shutchin@pahousegop.com; tkillion@pahousegop.com; bkortz@pahouse.net; nkotik@pahouse.net; bmackere@pahousegop.com; jmaher@pahousegop.com; smajor@pahousegop.com; rmarsico@pahousegop.com; jmarkose@pahouse.net; Jmarshall@pahousegop.com;
kmccall@pahouse.net; fmcilhat@pahousegop.com; bmensch@pahousegop.com; dmetcalf@pahousegop.com; dmillard@pahousegop.com; mmustio@pahousegop.com; jnailor@pahousegop.com; snickol@pahousegop.com; jpallone@pahouse.net; sperry@pahousegop.com; jpetrarc@pahouse.net; tpetrone@pahouse.net; mphillip@pahousegop.com; tpickett@pahousegop.com; jpyle@pahousegop.com; sramaley@pahouse.net; klrapp@pahousegop.com; hreadsha@pahouse.net; dreed@pahousegop.com; dreichle@pahousegop.com; broae@pahousegop.com; trock@pahousegop.com; srohrer@pahousegop.com; rep-ross@kennett.net; csainato@pahouse.net;
ssaylor@pahousegop.com; mscavell@pahousegop.com; jsiptrot@pahouse.net; shsmith@pahousegop.com; tsolobay@pahouse.net; csonney@pahousegop.com; estaback@pahouse.net; jstairs@pahousegop.com; dsteil@pahousegop.com; jstern@pahousegop.com; rstevens@pahousegop.com; dsurra@pahouse.net; ttangret@pahouse.net; ktrue@pahousegop.com; mturzai@pahousegop.com; rvulakov@pahousegop.com; dwalko@pahouse.net; jwansacz@pahouse.net; kwatson@pahousegop.com; jwhite@pahouse.net; ewojnaro@pahouse.net; tyewcic@pahouse.net;

HERE ARE THE "SWING" VOTES:

jbear@pahousegop.com; kboback@pahousegop.com; jbrennan@pahouse.net; mbrooks@pahousegop.com; mfleck@pahousegop.com; shelm@pahousegop.com; dkessler@pahousegop.com; blentz@pahouse.net; mlongiet@pahouse.net; cmantz@pahousegop.com; dmilne@pahousegop.com; dmoul@pahousegop.com; jmoyer@pahousegop.com; tmurt@pahousegop.com; tpayton@pahouse.net; mpeifer@pahousegop.com; mquinn@pahousegop.com; jsabatin@pahouse.net; tseip@pahouse.net; bsmith@pahouse.net; ksmith@pahouse.net; rtaylor@pahouse.net; mvereb@pahousegop.com

[Brick]

As I understand it we were asked to support SB 623 with amendments adding elements of HB 641 "the Castle Doctrine" and HB 29 establishing a PSP database of lost or stolen guns without requiring mandatory reporting

So here is what we've got so far

HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 677 PRINTER'S NO. 1282


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THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE BILL
No. 623 Session of 2007


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, BOSCOLA, RAFFERTY, STACK, BROWNE,
O'PAKE, PUNT, TOMLINSON, WAUGH, FOLMER, RHOADES, ERICKSON,
LOGAN, WOZNIAK AND WONDERLING, MARCH 21, 2007


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AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JULY 6, 2007


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AN ACT

1 Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, defining "corrections officer"; and <--
3 further providing for use of force in law enforcement; IN <--
4 THEFT AND RELATED OFFENSES, DEFINING "FIREARM"; AND PROVIDING
5 FOR FIREARM TRACING.

6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Section 501 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
9 Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a definition to read:
10 § 501. Definitions.
11 Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent
12 provisions of this chapter which are applicable to specific
13 provisions of this chapter, the following words and phrases,
14 when used in this chapter shall have, unless the context clearly
15 indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section:
16 * * *
17 "Corrections officer." A full-time employee assigned to the
18 Department of Corrections whose principal duty is the care,


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 custody and control of inmates of a penal or correctional
2 institution operated by the Department of Corrections.
3 * * *
4 Section 2. Section 508(c) of Title 18 is amended to read:
5 § 508. Use of force in law enforcement.
6 * * *
7 (c) Use of force [to prevent] regarding escape.--
8 (1) A peace officer, corrections officer or other person
9 who has an arrested or convicted person in his custody is
10 justified in the use of such force to prevent the escape of
11 the [arrested] person from custody as [he] the officer or
12 other person would be justified in using under subsection (a)
13 if [he] the officer or other person were arresting [such] the
14 person.
15 (2) A [guard or other] peace officer or corrections
16 officer is justified in the use of such force, including
17 deadly force, which [he] the officer believes to be necessary
18 to prevent the escape from a correctional institution of a
19 person whom the officer believes to be lawfully detained in
20 such institution under sentence for an offense or awaiting
21 trial or commitment for an offense.
22 (3) A corrections officer is justified in the use of
23 such force, which the officer believes to be necessary to
24 defend himself or another from bodily harm during the pursuit
25 of the escaped person. However, the officer is justified in
26 using deadly force only when the officer believes that such
27 force is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury
28 to himself or another, or when the officer believes that:
29 (i) such force is necessary to prevent the
30 apprehension from being defeated by resistance; and
20070S0623B1282 - 2 -


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1 (ii) the escaped person has been convicted of
2 committing or attempting to commit a forcible felony,
3 possesses a deadly weapon, or otherwise indicates that he
4 will endanger human life or inflict serious bodily injury
5 unless apprehended without delay.
6 * * *
7 SECTION 3. SECTION 3901 OF TITLE 18 IS AMENDED BY ADDING A <--
8 DEFINITION TO READ:
9 § 3901. DEFINITIONS.
10 SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS CONTAINED IN SUBSEQUENT
11 PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO SPECIFIC
12 PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER, THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES WHEN
13 USED IN THIS CHAPTER SHALL HAVE, UNLESS THE CONTEXT CLEARLY
14 INDICATES OTHERWISE, THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS SECTION:
15 * * *
16 "FIREARM." ANY WEAPON THAT IS DESIGNED TO OR MAY READILY BE
17 CONVERTED TO EXPEL ANY PROJECTILE BY THE ACTION OF AN EXPLOSIVE
18 OR THE FRAME OR RECEIVER OF ANY SUCH WEAPON.
19 * * *
20 SECTION 4. TITLE 18 IS AMENDED BY ADDING A SECTION TO READ:
21 § 6127. FIREARM TRACING.
22 (A) ILLEGAL POSSESSION.--UPON RECOVERING A FIREARM FROM THE
23 POSSESSION OF ANYONE UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE WHO IS NOT PERMITTED
24 BY FEDERAL OR STATE LAW TO POSSESS A FIREARM, A LOCAL LAW
25 ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SHALL USE THE BEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION,
26 INCLUDING A FIREARMS TRACE WHERE NECESSARY, TO DETERMINE HOW AND
27 FROM WHERE THE PERSON UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE GAINED POSSESSION OF
28 THE FIREARM.
29 (B) TRACING.--LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SHALL USE THE NATIONAL
30 TRACING CENTER OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND
20070S0623B1282 - 3 -


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1 FIREARMS IN COMPLYING WITH SUBSECTION (A).
2 (C) NOTIFICATION.--LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SHALL
3 ADVISE THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE OF ALL FIREARMS THAT ARE
4 RECOVERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION.
5 (D) REGISTRY.--THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE SHALL MAINTAIN
6 A REGISTRY OF ALL INFORMATION REPORTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS
7 SECTION.
8 Section 3 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days. <--



The original SB 623 plus a modified version of HB 24 "Tracing firearms recovered form minors" and a lousy definition of firearms.

[WhiteFeather]

As Kim Stolfer accurately predicted gun control, was on the State house voting agenda for July 6

For everyone that contacted the state Reps and expressed your view points on very short notice, A very special thank you for your active involvement in keeping the debate about criminals and not law abiding gun owners.

Also note that Rep Jesse White HB 1235 passed the house 197-0 which is good news for gun owners that has been denied there rights to own firearms in some case due to inaccuracies in state police records. HB 1235 moves over to the senate for a vote.

Here what is was what this action alert was about, trying to limit the gun control amendments to this bill.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local..._in_House.html

Posted on Sat, Jul. 07, 2007
Gun bills get wide support in HouseBy Amy Worden
Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau
HARRISBURG - The state House yesterday gave unprecedented approval to firearms legislation aimed at taking a nibble out of urban violence.
Supporters hailed the overwhelming vote - with the National Rifle Association stamp of approval - as a breakthrough in a state where gun owners are a formidable voting bloc.

The House still must vote on final passage of the legislation, which could come as early as today. It would then have to be approved by the Senate.

The measures would expand the criminal code definition of a firearm to include rifles, and require police to trace guns illegally possessed by people under 21. The proposals moved swiftly through the logjam of state budget-related legislation in response to threats by Pennsylvania's Legislative Black Caucus to block the budget vote.

"This has never happened before. We've made history, we got two pieces done. . . . We have started the engine moving," said Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland (D., Delaware), chairman of the 17-member caucus.

Kirkland said his caucus would not hold up the budget vote, which is stalled amid tense negotiations.

"If the vote comes tomorrow, we're on board, because we have provided people with hope," he said.

But Kirkland said the caucus would hold House leaders to their commitment to pursue talks on stronger gun-control legislation this summer.

The measures were sponsored by lawmakers whose lives have been touched by gun violence.

Rep. John Myers (D., Phila.), whose 26-year-old son was kidnapped last year at gunpoint and is still missing, sponsored the firearms-tracing amendment, which passed by 196-2.

"People ask, 'How do young people get weapons?' " he said. " 'Where do these young people get these weapons from?' "

Kirkland, who has left a bullet hole in a side of his car to show his constituents he has not forgotten them, sponsored an amendment, which passed 197-1, to add rifles and other long guns to the definition of firearm. He said that would increase the penalty for crimes committed with a long gun.

Kirkland said the Myers amendment would compel law enforcement to trace the weapons, which he said is clearly not always being done.

The law requires local police to use the National Tracing Center of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The measure also would require the state police to create a registry of recovered weapons from people under age 21.

Before the vote on each amendment, Rep. Edward Staback (D., Lackawanna) stood to assure lawmakers that the NRA had signed off the bills.

NRA lobbyist John Hohenwarter said the legislation would "make a difference in crime."

"In Philadelphia, we've been asking for the enforcement of laws for years," he said.

Police Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson was not available for comment yesterday. His spokesman said department officials could not comment until they had studied the bills.

Other law-enforcement officials speaking privately said the measures would not stem the violence in the city.

But Phil Goldsmith, president of CeasefirePA, called their passage an important first step toward combatting gun violence.

"I believe the legislature is hearing footsteps on this, because people are dying," he said.

Rep. Jewell Williams (D., Phila.) said it was the history-making beginning of a dialogue about gun violence and about crime.

Kirkland called it the beginning of a long process.

[Kenshin]

Kirkland, who has left a bullet hole in a side of his car to show his constituents he has not forgotten them, sponsored an amendment, which passed 197-1, to add rifles and other long guns to the definition of firearm. He said that would increase the penalty for crimes committed with a long gun.

Ok now this is the part that makes things weird for me is this just for criminals using long guns? OR does this really give our LTCF the ability to carry full length rifles and shotguns in our cars?

Because to me it sounds like this is one of the things these ignorant Dem's forgot while passing with that kind of margin... And why the NRA signed off on it...

Either way its sounds good.

[PSA]

The Pennsylvania Crimes Code contains several different definitions of the term "firearm". If a particular section or subsection does not contain a definition, then the default 6102 definition applies. The 6102 definition is essentially handgun.

HB 1392 defines firearms to include everything but airguns. HB 1392 only applies to section 3901, not the entire Crimes Code. If HB 1392 becomes law, stealing a rifle or shotgun or black powder firearm will subject the thief to felony charges as if he had stolen a handgun. Under present law, theft of a handgun is a felony but the grade of the charge for theft of a rifle or shotgun depends only upon the value of the rifle or shotgun. The PSA took no position on this legislation.


Harry Schneider, PSA Chairman
Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Assn.,

[TwistedCopper]

So... did all those emails help or what?