Rather than seeking ways to punish violent offenders, Gov. Rendell is pushing bills that punish law-abiding gun owners
HARRISBURG — Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Robert A. Gleason, Jr. was disappointed by the lengths that Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell will go to undermine Pennsylvanians’ right to buy and retain a firearm.
“Gov. Ed Rendell and House Democrats continue to try to impose more restrictions and regulations on Pennsylvania’s law-abiding gun owners,” said Gleason. “I understand that Mayor Street and Philadelphia Democrats have allowed the city of Philadelphia’s murder problem to spiral out of control, however, I believe that Pennsylvania’s problems can best be corrected by punishing criminals, not law-abiding citizens.”
According to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Gov. Ed Rendell has decided to take the unusual step of addressing the House Judiciary Committee in an attempt to influence House members’ votes. Tomorrow, after Rendell’s visit, the Committee will vote on a package of bills that have been stuck in committee for almost a year. The proposed bills would enact a number of measures that would deter people from owning guns. Here are the proposals that are included in the bills:
- Limit handgun purchases
- Allow municipalities to pass their own gun law restrictions
- Punish the victims of a robbery, not the thief, by making it a crime to fail to report the loss or theft of a firearm to police within 24 hours of discovering the firearm missing
“In addition to limiting the right of Pennsylvanians to purchase and own a gun, these bills fail to attack the root of the problems Philadelphia is facing,” Gleason continued. “Before we limit handgun purchases to one-a-month for law-abiding citizens, shouldn’t we have to ask ourselves if that is really going to curb violence? People need to take personal responsibility for their actions, and that will begin when we enforce the laws that are already in place. The Republican Party of Pennsylvania supports our 2nd Amendment rights and wholeheartedly stand behind all citizens’ right to own a gun.”
We encourage all Pennsylvanians to call Governor Ed Rendell at (717) 787-2500 and tell them that we do not want our 2nd Amendment rights infringed upon.
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