Lt. Gov. Austin Davis: An opportunity to address gun violence

Firearms are now the No. 1 cause of death for young people in Pennsylvania.

Not car accidents.

Not cancer.

Guns.

As someone who is looking forward to becoming a father later this year, I think about that statistic a lot. Truthfully, I sometimes worry about what kind of world we’re bringing our child into. Can we keep her safe? Can we keep our neighborhoods and schools safe for all of our kids?

The epidemic of gun violence that is plaguing our commonwealth, and country, is unacceptable. It is shattering families and communities, including in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Over the past few months, there have been shootings in Westmoreland, Indiana, Armstrong, Somerset and Cambria counties. This isn’t a “Philadelphia” problem or a “Pittsburgh” problem. Unfortunately, it’s an American problem.

But it’s a problem we can do something about.

The Pennsylvania House recently took bold, bipartisan action on legislation that would require background checks on every sale of a firearm (House Bill 714) and provide a mechanism for loved ones, family members, or law enforcement to ask a judge to hold a hearing to temporarily disarm someone in crisis (House Bill 1018), also known as an Extreme Risk Protection Order or “red flag” law. I thank the Republican and Democratic lawmakers who backed these bills. As public officials, we should never turn away from tough fights. We should embrace commonsense solutions and push back on those who suggest we can’t do anything to prevent gun violence.

The proposals passed last month are common sense. In fact, overwhelming majorities of Pennsylvanians support “red flag” laws and universal background checks for firearm purchases. We have a proud tradition of responsible gun ownership in the commonwealth, and these bills protect legal gun owners’ rights, while making our communities safer. That’s why they’re supported not only by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, but by law enforcement leaders, too.

These bills are important parts of the gun violence prevention toolkit. However, there is more we can do. Ultimately, we need a comprehensive gun safety strategy, which includes addressing the root causes of violence, like poverty, unemployment and substance abuse issues.

It includes making sure law enforcement and community-based organizations doing violence prevention work have the resources they need. The Shapiro- Davis budget invests heavily in public safety, including funding for nearly 400 new troopers to protect and serve the commonwealth, providing tax credits to help communities to hire more police officers and increasing state funding for violence intervention and prevention grants to a record $105 million.

That’s what I’m focusing on as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, where we are bringing together the top experts, using the latest research, and studying best practices from across the country to make our communities safer.

These bills are before the state Senate, and as lieutenant governor, I urge my colleagues to bring them up for consideration. Let’s have a full, open and honest debate about what we can all do to prevent gun violence. The Shapiro-Davis administration is ready to participate in this conversation, and we cannot allow politics to stand in the way of progress on this issue. Our children and communities are counting on us to get this done.

Bringing leaders from both political parties together to get things done is hard work. Gov. Josh Shapiro and I are committed to this fight, so that every Pennsylvanian has the freedom to live in a safe community, and that every kid is safe at school and in their neighborhood.

Austin Davis is Pennsylvania lieutenant governor.