Lawmaker: ‘Bad idea from the start’
Berks lawmakers to seek repeal of measure, citing noise, damage and injuries
State Sen. Judy Schwank is taking a new approach to what she sees as an ongoing problem.
The Ruscombmanor Township lawmaker drafted a proposal last summer to rewrite a Pennsylvania law passed in 2017 that allowed residents to buy some commercial fireworks.
The 2017 bill led to an increase in the number of explosions in the sky and noise complaints — sparking frustration among local leaders, police officers, firefighters and residents.
But Schwank’s legislation, which would have given municipalities the power to regulate fireworks, stalled in committee before it could gain much traction.
So, this summer, Schwank decided to adopt a different strategy.
The Democrat announced this week she will soon introduce legislation to completely scrap the Fireworks Act from 2017. Muhlenberg Township Democrat Rep. Mark Rozzi will introduce a similar bill in the House, Schwank said.
Both voted against a measure that contained the Fireworks Act in 2017.
Schwank said the efforts remain focused on the frustrations she has heard from local authorities across the commonwealth who are unable to mitigate resident complaints about fireworks that are lit day and night — causing property damage, emotional distress to children and pets, serious injuries and sleepless nights.
That has resulted in hundreds of calls to police and fire companies in communities in her district, including a July Fourth fire last summer that caused about $50,000 damage to the roof of an elementary school in the city.
Schwank is circulating a memo seeking support from her colleagues for the new proposal, citing a special study that estimated there were about 7,300 fireworksrelated injuries treated by emergency room departments nationwide during a one-month period during June and July 2019.
“This isn’t just a Berks County problem, this is a problem statewide,” she said. “It was just a bad idea from the start and, unfortunately, there was a lot of political pressure to make it happen.”
Schwank said she recognizes that repealing the law is going to be a heavy lift because it created new revenue for the state. The taxes placed on the fireworks, she added, have raised about $7 million for the state at a time when the commonwealth is reeling from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s a dramatic move,” she said, acknowledging that it will take time to win support from those in leadership. “This is certainly not going to happen quickly since we know the last bill never moved at all. But I think it’s a big enough problem that it’s worth addressing this way.”
Schwank said she will encourage her colleagues to gather input from local leaders in their districts.
“Last year was the beginning of the problems with fireworks,” she said. “So now we’ve had that experience, we understand that municipal officials feel as if their hands are tied and they’re stuck bearing the brunt of the cost trying to regulate the use of these fireworks. And it’s still not working.”
In Reading, officials are taking a multipronged approach to dealing with fireworks this summer, including a video that will feature Mayor Eddie Moran talking about why it’s important to be a good neighbor and the public health issues associated with setting off fireworks in the city.