PA Bill Number: HB1472
Title: In primary and election expenses, further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons and for late contributions ...
Description: In primary and election expenses, further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons and for late contrib ...
Last Action: Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT
Last Action Date: Apr 22, 2024
FOAC's Weekly Message For Sunday November 17th 2019 :: 11/17/2019
Gov. Wolf’s ‘holiday treat’ for gun owners comes wrapped up in his ‘special’, executive order inspired, Council on Gun Violence which is beginning a series of five hearings to discuss how to “make all Pennsylvanians safer whether they live in a city or rural area”. Interestingly enough it is also occurring just as the end of the first half of the legislative session for the Pennsylvania house and Senate which is known as Sine Die, will occur in November and December (see the schedule below).
PA Legislature -Sine Die - Upcoming Session Days:
House of Representatives:
November - 18, 19, 20, 21
December - 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18
Senate:
November - 18, 19, 20, 21
December - 16, 17, 18
The schedule for the Gov.’s special Council on gun violence is listed below:
- Regional Hearing – Reducing Likelihood of Accidental Shootings
Friday, November 15, 2019 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Lemmond Theater, Misericordia University, 301 Lake Street, Dallas, PA - Regional Hearing – Combating Mass Shootings
Thursday, November 21, 2019 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, 3959 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA - Regional Hearing – Preventing Suicide by Firearms
Friday, November 22, 2019 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Board Room, York City School District Administration Building, 31 N. Pershing Avenue, York, PA - Regional Hearing – Preventing Domestic Violence-Related Shootings
Monday, November 25, 2019 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Bennett Pierce Living Center, 110 Henderson, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA - Regional Hearing – Reducing Community Gun Violence
Thursday, December 5, 2019 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Temple University, 1801 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
The first of these hearings already concluded this past Friday. The newspapers reported it was before a very small crowd. Ostensibly the hearings are meant to present information and get feedback on best practices in our state (and in other states?), Gather data and research so as to inform the Council.
What is the most perplexing and frustrating part of hearing about the culmination of the Gov.’s Executive Order on this Council and their work is to find out that they are going to be compiling information that has already been the subject of hearings, reports and data gathered by many agencies at the state and federal level. Over the last 20 years there have been literally thousands of reports and studies completed on this issue and yet somehow these five hearings are going to present best practices to do what?
The fact of the matter is that the Gov. is trying to put pressure on the legislature to pass more gun control and that this is going to be a vehicle to convey that pressure to legislators and to deceive the public that something needs done. How anyone can ask the public about what needs done to stop the misuse of firearms boggles the mind when most citizens have no idea how many laws we even have already on the books nor what the courts do to enforce those laws (or lack thereof)! A good analogy would be that it’s like asking a newborn baby how to define quantum mechanics!
What will surely be lacking is an explanation of the failure of government to do its job to prosecute criminals and to enforce the laws we have now! This is a pattern and practice that has been present in Pennsylvania for well over 30 years and is a well-worn tactic of the anti-gun groups which try to represent America and Pennsylvania, in particular as a lawless society regarding controls on firearms.
As we end 2019 and move into 2020 we are sure to face a political struggle to try and keep what’s left of our freedoms. As we have always said, this fight depends on each of us and the sophistication and the complexity of the gun control issue seems to grow without restraint each and every year and from our perspective sometimes daily! You can see the forces arrayed against us and the question is will gunowners bend the knee and allow these misfits to take the Second Amendment from us. This is the holiday message we must all consider!
Addendum: the chairman of PCCD, Charles Ramsey, is the former Philadelphia police chief who has, in his own right, been the subject of much criticism for his arrogance in ignoring Pennsylvania gun laws! As Philadelphia police chief Charles Ramsey was not allowed to legally carry or transport firearms under Pennsylvania law because he did not have a license to carry concealed firearms as a citizen and neither was he qualified as a Philadelphia police officer.
Southwestern PA School District Pushing Gun Control Through One-Sided Public Debate
In the suburbs of Pittsburgh, the North Allegheny School District school board has authorized the billionaire funded group, Mom’s Demand Action, to hold a public debate on Thursday, November 21 at 7 PM in the Peebles Elementary School. To make things even more one-sided, the McCandless Democrat committee is helping to promote this event.
As you can see in the above posting, the so-called experts have no neutrality or even any expertise in the area of school safety, firearms, or security procedures. Their sole claim to fame is that they lobby for more gun control and use manufactured statistics to support their claims!
Firearms owners has no qualms about debating any of these people from any of these organizations but to presuppose that they are in any way neutral or even qualified to hold a symposium like this without at least offering one seat to the other side is a despicable and naked attempt to influence public opinion without giving that very same public the benefit of the doubt to be able to sort out truth from fiction. What’s worse is that they are using public facilities to push this false and misleading narrative!
It is unclear why the district is allowing this propaganda to be disseminated to parents in the North Allegheny School District; however, School Board Member Allyson Minton played a large part in organizing the event.
While the Moms Demand Action Group claims to possess a “panel of experts” at the event, not one of the organizers or panel members has any certification or experience with school safety or gun safety. All of the panel members, however, are active members of anti-gun PACs and are actively involved with lobbying government officials for gun control measures.
The flyer for the event states that the panel discussion will include a “discussion on best practices” for school safety and “organizing an effective campaign for a comprehensive approach to school safety and against unproven and risky proposals like arming teachers or school staff”.
Not one member of the “expert” panel is certified in either school safety measures or gun safety, but all are active members of anti-gun lobbying groups.
- Event organizer Katie Melson Leslie is currently in a leadership position for Moms Demand Action and is an active lobbyist. Her education is in nursing and she has no certifications or expertise in school safety.
- Co-organizer Melinda Wedde is the legislative lead for the Pittsburgh North Chapter of Moms Demand Action and is an active lobbyist. Her education is in history and she currently serves as a yoga instructor. She has no certifications or expertise in school safety.
- Panelists Tracy Morey and Amy Sarno are activists with Moms Demand Action. Neither panelist has certifications or expertise in school safety. Sarno is an online education administrator.
- Dr. Sara Silvestri is a pediatrician in McKees Rocks with no certifications or expertise in school safety. She lists her interests as yoga, gardening and cooking.
- Panelist Patricia Robinson, Ed.S. is a contracted school psychologist for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and is an active donor to the anti-gun group Americans for Responsible Solutions.
It is interesting to note that this particular Moms Demand Action lobbyist group, headed by Katie Leslie and Melinda Wedde, were responsible for the cancellation of school safety classes that were donated, free of charge, by one of the area’s foremost experts on school safety and protection. INPAX owner Sam Rosenberg, a former marine and former bodyguard to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was the victim of a witch hunt when the two women accused him of racism for re-posting anti-ISIS news stories. Rosenberg has also been the target of protests at his place of business because he owns and operates a gun range in McCandless Township. Rosenberg is a subject matter expert on violence prevention, threat management and institutional security. He is often consulted by local school districts to implement safety measures. Rosenberg is the developer and creator of the ASSERT (Active Shooter Survival Escape and Response Tactics) program, which focuses on teaching people what to do if they come face-to-face with an armed intruder.
So, if you live in the North Hills or the South Hills of Southwestern Pennsylvania and you can take a moment to attend this panel discussion, again on taxpayer property, please try to be there to watch this spectacle unfold and how to destroy the freedoms of all law-abiding citizens! Remember, these are your rights and this is how people steal rights by pushing lies and innuendo that have no basis in fact! One additional thing to remember, if this event is successful in North Allegheny it will be coming to your school sooner or later!
Pittsburgh Cinemark Theaters Join with Mom’s Demand Action
As you consider your choices for these holidays coming up regarding entertainment choices with family you may want to consider that the anti-gun group Moms Demand Action has entered into a formal relationship with Pittsburgh Cinemark theaters to broadcast an anti-gun message.
More and more businesses are now joining with these anti-gun groups to spew their propaganda! If the rights of Americans were important to angry gun-grabbers, their mission would crumble quickly, but because the emotional element that surrounds the gun conversation is so strong (and continually perpetuated by those who benefit from it), the anti-gun crowd will use it to their advantage and never talk about 'rights.'
By perpetuating irrational gun-fear and conditioning society with terms like 'gun violence,' 'assault weapon,' and 'weapons of war,' the anti–2nd Amendment radicals have the advantage of fear on their side. They can manipulate non-gun-owners into believing that guns cause violence. In other words, 'if the killer didn't have access to a gun, he wouldn't kill.' The anti–2nd Amendment radicals can also train people who aren't paying attention to believe that gun-owners are recklessly and intentionally putting everyone in danger. This builds hatred toward gun-owners. They say things like 'blood is on your hands' when trying to place the blame for murder on their fellow Americans (often women who want a gun for self-defense).
Logically thinking people scratch their heads and wonder how it is that everyone doesn't question the anti-gun radicals on the fact that their focus is on 'gun violence' when it should be on 'human violence.' The anger is directed at the NRA and good folks who want to protect their families when it should be against those who support gun-free school zones, then exploit the deaths of children to push for more gun restrictions. If everyone denounced the manipulative anti-gun propaganda and demanded that the focus be put on the causes of 'human violence,' the spotlight would be on all the things the anti-gun political left supports: open borders, sanctuary cities, rampant pharmaceutical drug use, welfare dependency, and gun-free zones.
Can't have that, can we? Nope. It's gotta' be about guns.
The dangerous push to disarm Americans is a clear example of deceitful people misleading others who don't know any better by leveraging their own fear and anger against them.
If people were able to see how the anti-gun propaganda is designed to mislead them, anti-gun groups would be seen for what they really are: fearful, angry anti-gunners chasing a ghost that never existed while simultaneously putting good people in danger to support a political agenda.
Should you wish to express your deep disappointment in their betrayal of Cinemark’s customer s please use this link - https://www.cinemark.com/contact-us - to leave your respectful comments about their misguided support for an organization that is known to lie to facilitate their own ends!
DOJ Prioritizes Prosecuting Criminals Over Law-Abiding Gun Owners and Confiscating Firearms
Every gun owner cares deeply about Real Solutions to the problems of criminal misuse and unauthorized access to firearms. But we know more can be done to enforce existing laws and to prosecute those who break them.
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced this week that they are launching Project Guardian a nationwide strategic plan to reduce the criminal misuse of firearms and to enforce existing federal firearms laws. Project Guardian will “further strengthen” and build on the Trump Administration’s DOJ’s ongoing efforts to combat gun violence.
Project Guardian complements existing programs to enforce federal laws and facilitate close coordination with state, local and tribal partners and is based on five principles:
- Coordinated prosecution: “Federal prosecutors and law enforcement will coordinate with state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to consider potential federal prosecution for new cases involving a defendant who: (a) was arrested in possession of a firearm; (b) is believed to have used a firearm in committing a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime prosecutable in federal court; or (c) is suspected of actively committing violent crime(s) in the community on behalf of a criminal organization.”
- Enforcement of federal firearms laws and background checks: “For all cases involving false statements on ATF Form 4473 (including lie-and-try, lie-and-buy, and straw purchasers), unlicensed firearms dealers, and other individuals involved in the illegal trafficking of firearms, the guidelines must place particular emphasis on: (a) violent persons, such as individuals convicted of violent felonies or misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence, individuals subject to protective orders, and individuals who are fugitives where the underlying offense is a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; (b) individuals suspected of involvement in criminal organizations or of providing firearms to criminal organizations; and ( c) individuals involved in repeat denials.”
- Improved information sharing: “… on a regular basis, and as often as practicable given current technical limitations, ATF will provide to state law enforcement fusion centers a report listing individuals for whom NICS has issued denials, including the basis for the denial, so that our state and local law enforcement partners can take appropriate steps under their laws.”
- Coordinated response to mental health denials: “United States Attorneys should consult with relevant district stakeholders, including ATF and state or local law enforcement and mental health departments, to assess the feasibility of adopting disruption and early engagement programs to address mental-health-prohibited individuals who, attempt to acquire a firearm and to counter the threat of mass shootings.”
- Crime gun intelligence coordination: “Federal, state, local, and tribal prosecutors and law enforcement will work together to ensure effective use of ATF CGICs, and all related resources, to maximize the use of modern intelligence tools and technology, such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and Firearm Tracing, to investigate and prevent gun crime.”
It is not only refreshing, but encouraging that the Trump administration is exhibiting such a strong commitment to enforcing the laws that will contribute to public safety while respecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. These are the real common-sense solutions that we all seek in holding the perpetrators of violent crime accountable for their actions and safeguarding against those who prey on the most vulnerable.
Gun-Control Capital of America, California, Sees Another School Shooting
California gun laws continue to, and have failed to protect its citizens once again at a California high school 40 minutes outside Los Angeles.
As you know, on Thursday morning, 20 minutes before classes started, a 16-year old student entered Saugus High School in Santa Clarita on his birthday, pulled out a .45 caliber handgun, and opened fire on his classmates.
The killer fired the pistol one time before it jammed. He was able to clear the jam and continued to fire on students hitting five of the fleeing teens. When he had a single round left in the chamber he turned the pistol on himself and attempted to commit suicide. A 14-year old boy and a 16-year old girl passed away after being rushed to the hospital
Three off duty officers who were dropping their children off at school were the first on the scene. They found six students with gunshot wounds in the quad area of the school. The first call from the school came into 911 at 7:38 AM.
Emergency first responders transported three other students to the hospital by ambulance. Police found the killer still alive in the quad, and EMS crews also rushed him to the hospital. Doctors listed the murderer as in critical condition immediately after the incident.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva wasted no time to exploit the tragedy by invoking images of Columbine, Parkland, and Sandy Hook on CNN as Anderson Cooper swooped in like a vulture.
“With a heavy heart, we're going to move on with the investigation and figure out what went wrong,” the sheriff said. “I hate to have Saugus be added to the names of Columbine, Parkland, Sandy Hook, but it's a reality that affects us all throughout the nation — something that we're going to have to figure out.”
Democrats, almost on cue, took to Twitter to blame NRA for the shooting. Democrat presidential candidate, Cory Booker, who is currently polling at only 2%, began pointing the finger before the situation was even under control.
“My heart goes out to the students, teachers and parents in Santa Clarita,” Booker Tweeted. “Thank you to the first responders and law enforcement who are still on the scene. We don't have to accept our children being terrorized by guns. We demand gun safety. We need to bring a fight to the NRA.”
As of yet, authorities, still, do not have a motive for the attack.
Anti-gunners: What Is the Violence Policy Center
One of the reasons that we are facing an increasingly difficult fight to protect our rights is that anti-Second Amendment extremists have gone beyond the misuse of firearms in the commission of crimes and acts of madness as a reason to take away our rights. This strategy, which has become very effective, had its birth with the Violence Policy Center.
The Violence Policy Center is responsible for not only creating the “assault weapons” iconic myth that is regularly used to beat Second Amendment supporters over the head, especially in the wake of mass shootings, but it is part of an overarching long-term strategy that is responsible for a paradigm shift in the debate over our rights.
You see, to the Violence Policy Center, mere ownership of any type of firearms threatens the “public health” of the entire country. By moving it to this angle it allows them to hammer law-abiding American citizens who wish to exercise their Second Amendment rights – even when they have done nothing wrong. It is part of a pattern of anti-Second Amendment innovation – one that has been a hallmark of the organization’s founder, Josh Sugarmann.
Sugarmann is the one who initially suggested that the future of gun control was shifting the focus away from handguns and on modern multi-purpose semiautomatic rifles and shotguns. His infamous quote is one that Second Amendment supporters should point to when trying to convince our fellow Americans that they are being misled.
But it goes beyond modern semiautomatic rifles. The Violence Policy Center has also sought a complete ban on handguns over the same years. Again, the refrain is they are a danger to public health. The group even targeted subcompact pistols like the Glock 26 calling them “pocket rockets.” There is one very common denominator in all of this: The Violence Policy Center has always pushed to create unbridled fear and panic about gun ownership, especially modern firearms technology.
But the Violence Policy Center has not stopped there. In addition to the fear-mongering, the Violence Policy Center has proposed to give career bureaucrats the right to impose gun bans. This is, in fact, precisely what the Violence Policy Center advocated in 1994. Their model legislation was introduced in 1993, 1995, and 1997 by then-Representative Major Owens.
Former Atty. Gen., Eric Holder’s long-sought brainwashing of Americans against guns has begun to take hold, and the Violence Policy Center’s work has been the crux of that campaign. How else do you explain the way an advice columnist can tell a father to put his hatred of guns over love for his daughter, and then double down on it?
Overcoming this climate of fear will be a full-spectrum fight over the long haul that will require the right approach and much attention to not just strategy and tactics. Supreme Court rulings will only be of temporary respite rather than the beginning of the end of infringements on our rights if the fear created by the Violence Policy Center is not overcome.
Quote of the Week: Dr. John Lott. . . 20 states currently allow teachers and staff to carry guns to varying degrees on school property, so we don’t need to guess about how safe these schools are. Some states have had these rules for decades. In recent decades, only California and Rhode Island have moved to be more restrictive. The Crime Prevention Research Center, of which I am the president, has just released a new report looking at all the school shootings of any type in the United States from 2000 through 2018.
During these years, Utah, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and parts of Oregon allowed all permitted teachers and staff to carry, without any additional training requirements. Other states leave it to the discretion of the local superintendent or school board. As of December 2018, teachers carried in more than 30 percent of Texas school districts. And in September 2018, Ohio teachers were carrying in over 200 school districts.
Roughly 5 percent of Utah teachers carry permitted concealed handguns at school, according to Clark Aposhian, the senior member of Utah’s Concealed Firearm Review Board. Support staff — including janitors, librarians, secretaries, and lunch staff — carry at a higher estimated rate of between 10 and 12 percent.
Gun Control Quote to Remember: “Assault weapons' menacing looks, coupled with the public's confusion over fully-automatic machine guns versus semi-automatic assault weapons --anything that looks like a machine gun is assumed to be a machine gun-- can only increase the chance of public support for restrictions on these weapons.” Josh Sugarmann, executive director and founder of the Violence Policy Center (VPC)
Founding Father’s Statement on Freedom: 'Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights and duties, and to take none of them from us.'- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Francis W. Gilmer, 1816
Yours in Freedom!
Kim Stolfer, President
As a reminder, every gun owner can participate in the December 8, 2019 FOAC Monthly meeting from any PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android phone by clicking on the link below:
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/156448331
One-tap Mobile: US: +19292056099,, 156448331# US (New York)
Dial by location: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 156 448 331
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adSioEAVyf
