It was another banner day in Harrisburg yesterday.
Appropriately enough, it also was April Fool’s Day. Only no one is laughing.
The state House rejected a move that would require people to report lost or stolen handguns within three days of discovering that they were missing.
The target here is to give law enforcement a new weapon in the war on guns that are all too often used to commit crimes in many urban areas. Specifically it would have gone a long way to address the problem of straw buyers, that being the use of someone without a criminal record to legally buy a gun, then illegally turn it over to some who does, who in turn often sells it on the street.
Opponents, including the powerful National Rifle Association, railed against the legislation, maintaining the problem is the people who commit crime, not gun control.
The House rejected the measure 128-75. It was backed by Gov. Ed Rendell and the legislative black caucus, including its leader, Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-159, of Chester. It received broad support from Philadelphia and the suburbs. Not surprisingly those also are the places, such as Philly and Chester, battling rampant street crime often fueled by the number of guns on the streets.
Just this past week in Chester, police and officials were mystified at the kind of gun violence the city is dealing with, after a shootout erupted after a dance in the city that some described as something out of the “OK Corral.”
Hey, look on the bright side. Just getting such a measure to the House floor for a vote is being considered something of a victory.
It’s the first time in memory the debate on gun violence made it to the floor and members were forced to put their votes on public display.
Proponents vow they will come back with another version of the legislation.
Just in case that wasn’t enough for our lawmakers to tackle in one day, they also failed to move on a proposal to limit public smoking.
A House-Senate conference committee could not reach an agreement on a compromise measure. The move is now off for at least another month.
Just another day in the state Capitol.
Appropriately enough, it also was April Fool’s Day. Only no one is laughing.
The state House rejected a move that would require people to report lost or stolen handguns within three days of discovering that they were missing.
The target here is to give law enforcement a new weapon in the war on guns that are all too often used to commit crimes in many urban areas. Specifically it would have gone a long way to address the problem of straw buyers, that being the use of someone without a criminal record to legally buy a gun, then illegally turn it over to some who does, who in turn often sells it on the street.
Opponents, including the powerful National Rifle Association, railed against the legislation, maintaining the problem is the people who commit crime, not gun control.
The House rejected the measure 128-75. It was backed by Gov. Ed Rendell and the legislative black caucus, including its leader, Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-159, of Chester. It received broad support from Philadelphia and the suburbs. Not surprisingly those also are the places, such as Philly and Chester, battling rampant street crime often fueled by the number of guns on the streets.
Just this past week in Chester, police and officials were mystified at the kind of gun violence the city is dealing with, after a shootout erupted after a dance in the city that some described as something out of the “OK Corral.”
Hey, look on the bright side. Just getting such a measure to the House floor for a vote is being considered something of a victory.
It’s the first time in memory the debate on gun violence made it to the floor and members were forced to put their votes on public display.
Proponents vow they will come back with another version of the legislation.
Just in case that wasn’t enough for our lawmakers to tackle in one day, they also failed to move on a proposal to limit public smoking.
A House-Senate conference committee could not reach an agreement on a compromise measure. The move is now off for at least another month.
Just another day in the state Capitol.
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