Lewiston, Uvalde, Squirrel Hill … the list goes on. Some of our Pennsylvania legislators do nothing to help prevent mass shootings. This year there have been more than 400 mass shootings. Sen. Lisa Baker, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has had two pieces of legislation, which were passed in the House with bipartisan support, on her desk since May 22. She will not bring them up for a vote.
There have been close to 1,000 suicides in our state this year. One of the bills is an ERPO, commonly known as a “red flag law.” This bill would create a process allowing law enforcement, family or household members to petition the court to temporarily restrict a person’s access to firearms. It simply keeps firearms out of the wrong hands.
The other calls for universal background checks on all gun purchases. Current law does not require background checks for long guns sold by unlicensed sellers. This loophole enables people with felony convictions and other people with prohibiting histories to buy long guns — like the AR-15 weapon of war most often used in mass shootings — with no questions asked. And 89% of the public supports this law.
Gun violence is a public health crisis that must be dealt with by our legislators. Nearly 1,600 lives are lost every year in Pennsylvania due to gun violence.
Call Baker and tell her to schedule a hearing on gun safety legislation.
Marilyn Mulvihill
Sewickley