Democrats request session on guns
Several Democratic members of the Pennsylvania Legislature are urging Gov. Tom Wolf to call a special joint session of the General Assembly to address gun violence and extremism in the wake of two mass shootings within 13 hours of each other last weekend.
“We cannot afford another preventable tragedy in our own backyard,” state Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-157th, of Schuylkill Township, said about the need for legislative action. “What happened in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, can be avoided here in Pennsylvania, so instead of wallowing in this seemingly never-ending cycle of tragedy, let’s end it.
“We can go into session right now and pass legislation that would make it more difficult to put guns in these people’s hands,” she said.
Shusterman joins other Democratic state legislators including state Reps. Carolyn Comitta, D-156th, of West Chester, Danielle Friel-Otten, D-155, of West Whiteland, Christina Sappey, D-158th, of Malvern, and state Sen. Katie Muth, D44th, of Royersford, in calling to Wolf to bring the topic to a
special session.
Comitta and Friel-Otten are members of the PA Safe Caucus, which encourages legislation to halt gun violence.
PA Safe Caucus wants the special session to consider legislation in the House and Senate that would address access to guns for people at risk of violence to themselves or others, close the loophole for gun background checks, and to ban assault weapons.
In a press release issued by the House Democratic Communications Office, Shusterman noted that most public opinion polls reveal that most Americans support mandatory background checks on gun purchases, as well as other safety legislation.
“When two of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history happen within the same news cycle you know our nation is in a dark place. It is clear that we as a society have become numb to such events,” Shusterman said.
“I’ve heard the cliché ‘tragedies show us the best humanity has to offer’ regarding these shootings, and it’s starting to unnerve me. It seems to be part of the script following every mass shooting. It seems to be a way to minimize the terror of the actual shooting and instead put the focus on the recovery that should never have been necessary.
“My colleagues and I have over 25 pieces of legislation that have not been passed out of committee that could put Pennsylvanians’ safety before an industry’s profits. The time is now to put an end to these hateful acts of violence. I urge our leaders to call the legislature to Harrisburg and not stand idly by.”
J.J. Abbott, a spokesman for Gov. Wolf, said the governor is not necessarily opposed to a special session. However, Abbott said without “commitments to allow votes on critical reforms that will save lives, there is no guarantee of action.”
“What is desperately needed is broader recognition that change is necessary to protect all Pennsylvanians,” Abbott said. “Gun violence is a crisis that shows itself not just in mass shootings like Tree of Life, El Paso or Dayton, but in community gun crimes, suicides by gun and domestic violence.”
Meanwhile, one Republican who has sponsored gun control legislation in the past and who represents residents of eastern Chester County, urged caution concerning bringing together legislators attempting too wide a focus. State Sen. Tom Killion, R9th, of Middletown, is one of a few moderate Republicans sponsoring that measure-colloquially known as a “red flag” bill.
“You start trying to do too much, then you end up with nothing,” he said. “If I can get this done, I’ll be quite happy.”
Killion noted that one of the key reasons last session’s domestic violence bill received enough bipartisan support to pass was that its sponsors compromised with the National Rifle Association so that the group would remain neutral, instead of opposing it.
Shusterman encouraged her constituents to call the Republican majority chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Rob Kauffman, at 717-705-2004 and ask him to schedule hearings on gun violence prevention legislation, and to call House Speaker Mike Turzai at 717-772-9943.