State Representative Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/Forest/McKean) voted in favor of two individual pieces of legislation this week to expand both economic and personal liberty.
On Monday, Rapp voted in favor of House Bill 377 to repeal a Universal Construction Code mandate requiring sprinkler systems to be installed in all newly constructed residential housing.
“Repealing this intrusive and unnecessary mandate is important to job-creating employers in the construction industry and, especially, any Pennsylvania resident in the market for a new home,” said Rapp. “Individual homebuyers should have the freedom to choose, rather than being forced by the state, to invest the additional $5,000 to $15,000 to install a sprinkler system. Especially in today’s economy, passage of this repeal legislation will make all the difference when it comes to the American dream of home ownership being realized across Pennsylvania.”
Enacted in the House by a margin of 154 to 39, House Bill 377 now advances to the Senate for consideration.
On Wednesday, Rapp again voted in favor of House Bill 40, on second consideration, to make Pennsylvania the 24th state in the nation to adopt the Castle Doctrine to fully restore the legal ability of Commonwealth residents to use lethal force to defend themselves outside their homes, businesses, automobiles or in state parks, against violent criminals.
“I firmly believe that government should take no action that infringes on our self-evident liberty to keep and bear arms,” said Rapp. “By repealing the life-endangering duty to retreat statute, final enactment of the Castle Doctrine would provide all Pennsylvania citizens with the long-overdue assurance that exercising our Second Amendment right to defend our lives, families and property with lethal force whenever necessary cannot be criminalized.”
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