PA Bill Number: SB945
Title: Consolidating the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code; and making repeals.
Description: Consolidating the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code; and making repeals. ...
Last Action: Third consideration and final passage (199-0)
Last Action Date: Apr 17, 2024
Sides prep for gun bill fight in city council :: 12/18/2018
Four gun rights advocates sat in the front row of council chambers and video recorded on their phones Tuesday as Pittsburgh City Council formally introduced three gun-control measures that could result in legal action against the city.
The bills, jointly sponsored by seven council members and the mayor’s office, aim to ban assault-style weapons, prohibit some types of ammunition, and allow police to seize weapons from people who pose an “extreme risk” to themselves and others.
City officials became the target of online criticism this week from gun rights advocates but say they’re open to conversations on the measures.
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“I’m happy to have a conversation with anyone, face-to-face or over the phone, whether they’re my constituent or not,” said Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, whose district encompasses the Tree of Life synagogue, where a gunman killed 11 people on Oct. 27. Ms. Strassburger is one of the sponsors of the legislation.
The rhetoric, though, has already become heated.
Kim Stolfer, a prominent local gun rights activist and president of the group Firearm Owners Against Crime, was among the advocates focusing his cell phone camera on council Tuesday.
Earlier this week Mr. Stolfer told WTAE-TV that “what the city's doing is illegal and there's very little difference between them and the killer at the synagogue except for a matter of degree."
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Mayor Bill Peduto and Chief of Staff Dan Gilman fired back at Mr. Stolfer’s comments.
"Hard to find words for how horrible this is,” Mr. Gilman wrote on Twitter, in response to the comments.
In a letter sent to members of city council and Mr. Peduto on Monday, attorney Joshua Prince said he had been retained regarding the firearm proposals on behalf of FOAC and the Allegheny County Sportsmen's League.
The letter outlined the groups' legal arguments: that Pennsylvania law states that no municipality may regulate firearms or ammunition. That has been interpreted by the state Supreme Court, according to Mr. Prince, to mean that only the General Assembly can regulate firearms.
Other advocates who attended the meeting with Mr. Stolfer said they’ve started an online petition against the proposed legislation.
“This is my Second Amendment right under the federal Constitution and for them to try to take it away, there’s no middle ground for me,” said Vietnam veteran David Haid of Mount Washington. “Where is the DA on this?”
Ms. Strassburger and Councilman Corey O’Connor, whose districts encompass portions of Squirrel Hill, said they’re willing to invite gun rights advocates to sit down at the table.
Mr. Peduto, after a Tuesday news conference in the Strip District, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the city wants to challenge the existing law that was presented in 1994 and work with municipalities across the state while convincing state legislators that "doing nothing is not the answer."
On Twitter, he wrote, "Until 1994, municipalities in PA had the right to establish laws to protect their people. Then, the gun manufacturers lobby bought the state legislature. Today, a majority of Pennsylvanians support common sense gun reform & changes to state & federal laws that protect people"
Attending the city’s news conference Friday to announce the gun-control bills were Gov. Tom Wolf; state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill; and state Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline.
Mr. Frankel expects to introduce legislation in the coming weeks that would make it easier for cities to regulate firearms.
Mr. O’Connor said he plans to offer support for that proposal in the new year. “Possibly with a will of council [resolution] saying: Give us the tools that other cities have in this state. Philadelphia has some leeway. Give the local municipalities some leeway to do what they feel is right to protect their citizens,” he said.
Public hearings and a preliminary vote on the gun-control bills are expected by mid-February.
Council members Darlene Harris and Teresa Kail-Smith, initially listed as co-sponsors of the bills with all other council members, pulled their names from sponsorship until they hear more from their constituents, they said.
“I want to make sure this is legal,” Ms. Harris said. “I don’t want the taxpayers to have to pay for another lawsuit, or three. I need to know that if I’m voting on something, that it's going to be upheld by the police and by the court system.”
Melissa McCart contributed. Ashley Murray: amurray@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1750 or on Twitter at @Ashley__Murray. Julian Routh: jrouth@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1952, Twitter @julianrouth.
