State rep will host concealed-carry seminar in Fayette County

Kim Stolfer, president of Firearms Owners Against Crime, wants Pennsylvania residents to know “not just the law but also the moral and ethical duties when it comes to carrying a firearm.”

Stolfer will discuss those duties, as well as talk about Pennsylvania’s concealed-carry laws and permitting, at a free seminar Thursday in Washington Township, Fayette County.

State Rep. Bud Cook, R-Washington/Fayette, will host the 6 p.m. seminar at the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department.

“These free seminars have become extremely popular and I’m pleased to be able to bring this learning opportunity to the citizens of Belle Vernon and the surrounding area,” Cook said in a news release.

Stolfer will be the featured speaker and will discuss the concealed carry permitting process, the state’s Castle Doctrine, gun laws recently adopted in the City of Pittsburgh and other topics.

“Pennsylvania is the 11th most restrictive state in the nation, and most citizens don’t know that,” Stolfer said. “It’s key to not only know the precarious nature of the laws, but also what you need to do from a citizen standpoint to carry a weapon properly, and to respond to law enforcement properly.”

Stolfer is the featured speaker at several dozen such seminars each year, and attendance varies from 30 people up to more than 300 depending on the venue.

Stolfer considers Pennsylvania’s gun laws — particularly when it comes to traveling with a firearm — labyrinthine at best.

“If you don’t have a license to carry — which let’s not forget, is a license to exercise a right you’re granted under the U.S. Constitution — you can only go from your home directly to a gun range, to or from a gun dealer/repair shop, from your home to a vacation or recreational home, or to a firearms instruction course, with no stops,” he said. “If you stop for gas, you’re committing a misdemeanor in Pennsylvania.”

For those with a state license to carry, it is only illegal to travel with a loaded shotgun or rifle in the car.

“I like to tell people that their rights are contingent upon the vagaries of a justice system that’s prejudiced against them, especially in urban areas,” Stolfer said. “We do our best to give them the information, skills and knowledge to be able to navigate that, and to not end up having their life destroyed because of an overzealous prosecutor.”

Register for the seminar by calling 724-929-2660.

“The expert information presented is beneficial to everyone, whether you own a firearm or not,” Cook said.

The fire department is at 1314 Axton Street in Belle Vernon.