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New bill makes gun laws tougher in Pennsylvania', Brietbart.com

Doug Huffman

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http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D93SMHSG0&show_article=1&catnum=1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pennsylvania's gun laws got tougher Friday as Gov. Ed Rendell signed a bill increasing the mandatory sentence for anyone convicted of shooting a firearm at a police officer and for crimes committed with illegally purchased guns. Rendell signed the wide-reaching bill at the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police lodge.

"It's a good day for Pennsylvania and a great day for law enforcement," said Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham, who pushed for the changes.
The bill raises the sentence for anyone who shoots a firearm at a police officer from 10 years to 20, with a maximum of 40 years.

It also aids prosecutors by increasing the statute of limitations from two years to five years for "straw purchase" cases, referring to federally prohibited transactions in which one person fills out legal forms and buys a gun for someone who cannot own firearms, such as convicted felons.

It also prevents mentally ill individuals from buying guns and raises the penalties for lying when filing federal paperwork to buy a gun and for filing a false report of a stolen gun.

Rendell signed the legislation less than 10 days after it unanimously passed in the state Legislature and less than a month after the death of a Philadelphia police officer who was shot with an illegally purchased gun.

City police have been shot at 188 times and struck 22 times since 2003, according to police union president John McNesby. In that same period, four of five city police officers killed in the line of duty were fatally struck by a firearm.

While the bill had support from legislators, city officials and the National Rifle Association, Rendell said it still had one flaw: It lacks a requirement to report a lost or stolen firearm.

"We need to make it a crime for failure to report a lost or stolen gun—no ifs, ands or buts," Rendell said. "We need to go further."

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter agreed. "Our work is not done. We know that we have not done everything we can do to make it safer out here, not only for police officers but for citizens of the city," he said.
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Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns and the truth. NRA KMA$$
 

HankT

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What do you think of the changes in the law in your cited article, Huffy?

Bad? Good? Mixed?

What say you?

Thanks for posting it.
 

Prophet

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If I understand correctly, this bill has removed the ban on carrying in state parks correct?

From an optimistic look I'm happy with it. The penalties only effect criminals and the mentally unstable.

From a pessimistic look i'm a bit leary. What if you need to defend yourself against a bad cop? What constitutes a "mentally ill" person? I know some people who were depressed and spoke to therapists in college for it but are fine 15 years later...are they denied their second amendment rights? Also, I fear the slippery slope that Mayor Nutjob and Gov. Rendell think they have found. Quotes like, "we need to go further" and "our job is not done" concern me when spoken by gun grabbing liberals.

But i'm happy that I can legally carry a firearm to Point State Park. :celebrate
 

Mike

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The other question I have on this bill is the part about banning confiscations of guns during emergencies if the carry would have been legal absent the emergency.

PA requires a LTCF to openly carry any gun during an emergency - does anyone have time to find the actual signed bill and provide some analysis? That would be useful.
 
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