Gun Safety Rally Held In Support Of Santarsiero-Sponsored Bill

By Justin Heinze:

A rally for gun safety was held in downtown Norristown on Thursday afternoon, as state Democratic lawmakers worked to promote a House Bill they say would pass important reform to state firearm laws.

House Bill 1010, sponsored by Newtown’s state Rep. Steve Santarsiero, would require all firearm sales to be done before a licensed firearms dealer or county sheriff.

“Right now in Pennsylvania, criminals may lawfully purchase an assault rifle even though it is illegal for that same criminal to purchase a handgun,” Santarsiero said. “The people here with us today and I are among the vast majority of Pennsylvanians who believe that is something that needs to be fixed.”

The loophole in the current law means that “long guns,” also called assault rifles, can still legally be purchased by convicted criminals in Pennsylvania.

Gun safety advocates from around the area were in attendance at the rally, including CeaseFire PA, Moms Demand Action, Everytown, Bucks Safe, Bucks Against Gun Violence, DelCO United, Heeding God’s Call, Coalition for Peace Action and PA United for Background Checks, according to Santarsiero.

The bill enjoys some bipartisan support, including from local Republican state Rep. Todd Stephens (R-Montgomery).

If the bill is passed into law, Pennsylvania would be the sixth state to “close the loophole” on assault rifles, after California, Connecticut, New York, Colorado, and Rhode Island.

Santarsiero is running for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania’s 8th district in 2016