SB 1172 Emergency Powers Bill Scheduled for Committee Vote!

[WhiteFeather]

Got this email from Kim Stolfer with good news, so start contact your PA senators to pass this bill.

In short it prohibits the governor from taking, confiscating any firearms or ammo away in any declared state emergency.

FYI-This is HB 1145 that Rep Tim Solobay introduced on our behalf and is word
for word!

Due to the Governor's Budget Address which will be held at 11:30am, the
Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee will meet
on
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 8E-B East Wing.


The Committee will consider the following bills:


Bills


o Senate Bill 1172, PN 1588 (Robbins) - An Act amending Title 35
(Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further
providing, in provisions relating to the Governor and disaster
emergencies,
for general authority of the Governor to suspend the sale,
transportation,
or dispensing of firearms.


o Senate Bill 1199, PN 1627 (Baker) - An Act amending Title 51
(Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further
providing for educational leave of absence for the spouse of National
Guard
and Reservists during periods of active deployment.


o Senate Bill 1225, PN 1674 (Pippy) - An Act amending Title 35
(Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes,
providing for
mutual aid.


o House Bill 1094, PN 1325 (Shimkus) - An Act designating March
19 of
each year as "Pennsylvania Military Heroes Day."


A copy of the meeting packet will be delivered to your office with the
sign
off notice.



THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

_____


SENATE BILL


No. 1172 Session of 2007

_____

INTRODUCED BY ROBBINS, SCARNATI, WAUGH, LAVALLE, ARMSTRONG,
FERLO, FOLMER, FONTANA, GORDNER, KASUNIC, LOGAN, RAFFERTY,
REGOLA, RHOADES, D. WHITE, M. WHITE, WONDERLING AND WOZNIAK,
NOVEMBER 30, 2007
_____

REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
NOVEMBER 30, 2007
_____

AN ACT

1 Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing, in provisions
3 relating to the Governor and disaster emergencies, for
4 general authority of the Governor.

5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 7301(f)(8) of Title 35 of the
8 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section
is
9 amended by adding a subsection to read:
10 § 7301. General authority of Governor.
11 * * *
12 (f) Additional powers.--In addition to any other powers
13 conferred upon the Governor by law, the Governor may:
14 * * *
15 (8) Suspend or limit the sale, dispensing or
16 transportation of alcoholic beverages, [firearms,]
explosives
17 and combustibles.

_____

1 (g) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
2 construed to authorize the seizure, taking or confiscation of
3 lawfully possessed firearms or ammunition.
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

[doug]

That's great! Bob Robbins truly is a friend of ours, and I'm proud to have him in our legislature. I met him a couple of years ago when he came to Erie with the NRA. Here's a pic of me and him.

[sjl127]

Ok, if sales are suspended, how long will they be suspended for, and what will constitutes a life of the ban, and can this be imposed indefinitely?

[KeithPA]

WAIT!?!!? they need to pass a bill to suspend sales of firearms?

Didn't Fat Ed already do that by shutting down PICS last year! Hmm so if they need to pass a bill to make it legal, it's illegal already. Glad to see he got away with that one

[/sarcasm]

[TaePo]

I think they are removing firearms from the list (the word in [ ] will be stricken).

[doug]

I think they are removing firearms from the list (the word in [ ] will be stricken).

That is correct..

[larrymeyer]

I think they are removing firearms from the list (the word in [ ] will be stricken).

I'm glad of that or Eddie would be declaring a state of emergency in Philadelphia

[doug]

Maybe he doesn't know ... shhh

[ChamberedRound]

I'm all for removing that text from the bill, as it shouldn't be there. However, like sjl said, it doesn't really matter. He can stop all handgun sales by closing down PICS, and although PICS isn't needed for longgun sales, most FFLs won't sell you ANYTHING without a PICS check, because they don't want to open themselves to any kind of liability.

[LittleRedToyota]

nice to see my senator's (FERLO) name attached to this. i'll have to write him a note of thanks.