Lawmakers defend gun bill vote
The bill would have called for owners to report lost or stolen handguns.
By JAMES MCGINNIS
Bucks County Courier Times
Local lawmakers Scott Petri and Gene DiGirolamo defended their vote against a gun control bill Wednesday, arguing that it could have led to criminal charges against law-abiding citizens and lighter sentences for illegal gunrunners.
The bill also was opposed by state Rep. Paul Clymer, R-145, who said Pennsylvania already has enough regulations but lacks “family and traditional values.”
Proposed House Bill 1845 called for mandatory reporting by owners of lost or stolen handguns. Failure to do so would have resulted in a summary charge on the first offense and a felony charge on the third offense.
In Lower Bucks, state Reps. Chris King, Tony Melio, David Steil and John Galloway voted in favor of the bill. So did many lawmakers representing areas in and around Philadelphia.
But that wasn’t enough. The bill was defeated by vote of 128 to 75…. and with good reason, said Petri, DiGirolamo and Clymer.
DiGirolamo, R-18, said the proposed law was “ineffective and unenforceable.”
“I will not put people who are good citizens in jeopardy just because they did not know that their gun was lost or stolen,” he said. “What we should really be trying to do is to stop the people selling guns [in bulk].”
Petri, R-178, called his vote on the gun control bill “one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in Harrisburg.”
“We all knew this was a bad vote,” Petri said. “If you voted ‘yes,’ you were potentially criminalizing normal innocent people. If you voted ‘no,’ then you would be seen as soft on guns.
“I already can picture some of those grainy photos and campaign ads that use this vote to label me as progun,” he added.
Petri noted that first-time offenders would have faced only a summary offense, the equivalent of a non-traffic citation, for failure to report a lost or stolen gun. At the same time, existing laws call for possible misdemeanor counts of criminal charges if someone gives their gun to someone who uses it for a crime.
While disappointed the bill didn’t pass, King, D-142, also was pleasantly surprised that it “actually managed to get 75 votes.”
“The goal of this was to go after the people selling guns illegally and in bulk and selling them out of the trunks of their cars. The first offense is a summary. It’s basically a warning. That’s just one indication of how we tried to tailor this to make it un-burdensome on legal gun owners.
“I’m not arguing for dramatic changes to the gun laws,” he added. “I don’t believe that Philadelphia should have its own gun laws … or that this state should limit you to one gun a month. But I do believe that this would not impact the rights of lawful gun owners.”
Melio, D-141, called the bill a “no brainer.”
“Why can’t you report your stolen guns? Seems easy enough to me.” he said. “These lawmakers need to realize that we have a serious problem of gun violence in our state and it needs to be addressed.”
The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund grades lawmakers based on its own core values. DiGirolamo, Clymer and Steil all earned an “A” from the NRA. Petri received a Cminus; Melio earned an “F.” Other Bucks lawmakers were not listed.
King represents Hulmeville, Langhorne, Langhorne Manor, Penndel, all but two precincts in Lower Southampton and part of Middletown. Steil represents Lower Makefield, Yardley, Newtown, Newtown Township and District 2 of Upper Makefield. Petri’s district includes Northampton, Wrightstown and Ivyland and portions of Upper Makefield, Upper Southampton and Warwick. Melio represents all but two precincts in Bristol Township as well as four precincts in Middletown. Galloway represents Bristol, Morrisville, Tullytown, Falls, two districts in Bristol Township and one district in Middletown. DiGirolamo represents Bensalem and part of Lower Southampton.
James McGinnis can be reached at 215-949-3248 or jmcginnis@phillyBurbs.com.