Posted: | December 12, 2018 12:18 PM |
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From: | Representative Dan Frankel |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Empowering local governments to protect their citizens |
The Tree of Life massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue has been widely recognized as the largest anti-Semitic terror attack in the history of the United States. But Pittsburgh was just the most recent municipal area to be victimized by a mass shooting event. Mass shootings with high power weapons in Las Vegas, Orlando, Charleston, Aurora, Parkland, Newton and across the U.S. have left local governments responsible for responding to the need for citizen safety. In Pennsylvania, we’ve had mass shootings in Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg, Bart Township in Lancaster at the Nickel Mines School, Philadelphia, and Collier Township, amongst others. These episodes of mass violence, when coupled with the everyday firearms related violence, leaves communities seeking local solutions. It is time for us to move legislation that will expand the ability of local governments to respond to mass shootings, terror attacks and on-going violence within their municipal borders. This week I will introduce two pieces of legislation to provide municipal and county governments latitude needed in state law to create local laws that reflect residents desire to balance second amendment rights broadly, with protections based on specific community interests. The legislation will achieve this goal by removing preemption language from several existing statutes. These changes will expressly permit the ability of local governments to adopt ordinances that create more secure communities and prevent future massacres within their municipal borders. I hope you will join me in this effort to keep our communities safe. |
Description: | The first piece of legislation removes existing preemption language from the Second Class County Code. | |
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Description: | The second piece of legislation will remove existing preemption language from both Title 18 (Crimes) and Title 53 (Municipalities). |
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