LETTER: Time For Gun Reform In Chesco And Pennsylvania

Editor's note: The views expressed below do not necessarily reflect the views of Patch or its employees. To submit a letter to the editor at Patch concerning issues that pertain to Chester or Montgomery counties, email justin.heinze@patch.com.

As most Pennsylvanians will tell you, it is time for our State Legislature to pass HB1010/SB1049, to close the background check loophole permitting uncontrolled purchase of long guns. While more than 80 percent of PA residents, including a strong majority of gun owners, support background checks for the sale of every gun, the NRA-backed Republican leadership refuses to allow any up-or-down votes on these bills. This bipartisan co-sponsored legislation does not take away anyone’s guns (or in any way violate Pennsylvania and federal constitutional rights), but it simply ensures no gun will be sold is to someone who has a felony record or is subject to a domestic violence protection order.

This bill would as well protect our law enforcement community. According to CeaseFirePA, since 2008 long guns represent half of the weapons used to kill our brave men and women in uniform.

I am grateful that one of local state representatives, Madeleine Dean (D-153), is not only a co-sponsor of HB1010 but also the Chairwoman of the PA SAFE caucus to promote common sense gun laws to protect our families and community. I am very disappointed that my representative, Rep. Tom Murt (R-152), and his colleague, Rep. Todd Stephens (R-151), have not signed on to this bill and called on their caucus’ leadership to schedule this critical vote. While Rep. Murt has said in the past he would vote for HB1010, both Murt and Stephens refuse to step up and lead by co-sponsoring the bill among the more than fifty Democrats and Republicans already signed onto this bill.

This should not be surprising since both Murt and Stephens voted in 2014 for the law (since held to be unconstitutionally enacted) that allowed the NRA to sue Upper Dublin and other PA municipalities barring guns in playgrounds, parks, trails and public buildings, such as official meeting rooms and public libraries.
Upper Dublin and our neighboring municipalities deserve voices in Harrisburg who will take a stand to protect us. It’s time for a change in PA and, if those in the GOP majority in Harrisburg won’t change their minds, we need to vote for candidates who will put our safety and the lives of law enforcement personnel first.

Jeffrey Albert

Upper Dublin Township