PA Bill Number: HB2235
Title: Providing for regulation of the meat packing and food processing industry by creating facility health and safety committees in the workplace; ...
Description: Providing for regulation of the meat packing and food processing industry by creating facility health and safety committees in the workplace; ... ...
Last Action: Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Last Action Date: Apr 25, 2024
Gun rights advocates turned away in effort to file complaints over Pittsburgh firearms legislation :: 04/12/2019
PITTSBURGH — Gun rights advocates were not allowed to file a private criminal complaint Friday against Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and members of the City Council.
Friday is the day that the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office receives such complaints.
In a written statement Thursday, District Attorney Stephen Zappala's office said it would not allow such complaints to be filed because the city's new gun restrictions that were signed into law Tuesday are not yet in effect.
"The mayor broke the law the day he signed that document," said Tony Golembiewski, of Lawrenceville.
Advocates believe Peduto broke the law when he signed the bill, saying the city doesn't have the authority to pass such a bill.
"It was very clear that the overt act was the mayor and the City Council passing illegal legislation," said Val Finnell.
The advocates were also told that someone has to have been "aggrieved" by the law in order to file a criminal complaint.
"Why do I have to be arrested? Why do I have to fall on the sword?" Golembiewski asked. "In my eyes, the day I do that, I'm going to be handcuffed, I'm going to be brought in front of a magistrate, I'm going to be arraigned, and now I have a criminal record. Sixty-three years, no criminal record."
Peduto, in response to an impeachment effort against him by state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe of Cranberry, said he doesn't believe he broke the law.
"I don't see where the law is that I broke," Peduto said. "Certainly not a felony or any type of a crime that would allow for an impeachment proceeding."
Statement from Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala's office:
"The office of the District Attorney cannot legally approve any private criminal complaints concerning legislation that has not yet taken effect. The gun legislation recently passed in the city of Pittsburgh has three components with two different effective dates. The first two scheduled to take effect 60 days from April 9, 2019 and the third, 120 days from April 9, 2019. Therefore, the office will not be considering any such complaints until such time as someone is legally cited."
