Newtown Quakers to Hear PA Progress on Gun Control

Rosemary Wuenschel, chief of staff for State Rep. Steve Santarsiero, will speak on the second anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newton, Conn. on Strengthening the Voice for Gun Violence Prevention at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, December 14, at the historic Quaker Meetinghouse at 219 Court Street. Meeting for Worship in the manner of Friends will follow at 11 a.m. The public is invited to attend. http://www.newtownfriendsmeeting.org.

Two years ago on December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and fatally shot 20 children and six adult staff members. Before driving to the school that day, Lanza shot and killed his mother at their Newtown home and after the school massacre committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. This was the second-deadliest mass shooting by a single person in U.S. history.

Since then, there has been renewed debate about gun control in the United States, including proposals for making the background-check system universal, and for new federal and state legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain types of semi-automatic firearms.

Rosemary Wuenschel will bring people up-to-date on what is happening in the state and the nation regarding gun violence prevention during the past two years. Rose has 20 years of experience working inside and outside of state and federal government. Nearly half of that time she ran her own consulting business working with clients advocating for legislative and regulatory issues in state government primarily focusing on education, healthcare and children’s’ issues.

After graduating from Ursinus College with a degree in English, Rose was a reporter for weekly and daily newspapers in suburban Philadelphia where she covered local government and state and federal campaigns. Rose then worked for state Sen. H. Craig Lewis from 1989-1991 and served in several communications positions in Governor Robert P. Casey’s administration from 1991-1995.

In 1995, Rose joined the Pennsylvania Hospital and Health system Association working with hospitals in Western Pennsylvania on state and federal legislative and regulatory issues. In 1999, she moved to Bucks County where she continued working with hospitals in the Southeastern region on state and federal issues prior to her current position.

Rose lives in Newtown Borough with her husband Bucky Closser and their sons James and Colman.

Newtown Friends Meeting, is open to the public, with Sunday School classes for children and adults at 9:45 a.m. and worship based on expectant silence “after the manner of Friends” at 11 a.m. Childcare is provided.