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Governor Wolf urges new measures in wake of Texas shooting

Harrisburg, PA – “It has been more than three months since the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, yet state lawmakers have failed to pass any gun safety measur...
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Harrisburg, PA “It has been more than three months since the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, yet state lawmakers have failed to pass any gun safety measures to my desk. Now, after another massacre has taken the lives of innocent kids, we must act.

“In the coming weeks, I look forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to enact targeted measures to improve school safety. Our School Safety Task Force is nearing completion of its regional meetings and there is broad agreement on strengthening Pennsylvania’s Safe Schools initiative and providing better tools for law enforcement, schools, students, and parents to prevent violence. But this is no substitute from real action to protect all our constituents from dangerous individuals having access to firearms. We are failing them if we cannot protect them.

“Senate Bill 501, which would keep guns from domestic abusers, has not been called for a vote in the House despite passing the Senate exactly two months ago today. Over and over again, we see a nexus between domestic abuse and access to firearms being a recipe for mass violence. This bill has broad support from victim, law enforcement, and gun safety advocates. Yet, despite public and private requests by my administration, this bill continues to be held up. House Republican leaders need to free this bill from committee and bring it to the House floor this week.

“Over and over again, deadly mass shootings are committed with high-powered long guns. Yet, in Pennsylvania, these guns, including weapons of war like an AR-15, can be purchased in a private sale without requiring a background check by the Pennsylvania State Police. I continue to urge the House and Senate to close this loophole to reduce the likelihood of a known dangerous individual from getting access to these potentially deadly weapons.

“I urge the House and Senate to expedite action on these bipartisan, commonsense proposals.”

Source: Governor’s Press Office

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