Rendell vetoes castle doctrine legislation
Rendell vetoes castle doctrine legislation
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Gov. Ed Rendell today vetoed a bill that he feared would escalate violent acts by expanding a person's rights in Pennsylvania to use deadly force, even when safe retreat is possible, if feeling threatened outside their home.
Mr. Rendell criticized the bill as a dangerous solution to a nonexistent problem that would encourage a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality.
"I do not believe that in a civilized society we should encourage violent and deadly confrontation when the victim can safely protect themselves" through retreat, Mr. Rendell wrote in his veto message. "As keepers of the public trust, we have the solemn duty to protect our citizenry, not put them in harm's way, and to protect the sanctity of human life."
The bill would have expanded Pennsylvania's so-called Castle Doctrine and offered immunity against civil lawsuits in certain cases to people who could show that they acted within the law's guidelines. Current law allows the use of deadly force in self-defense only when a person is attacked in their home or workplace, Rendell said.
The term-limited Democrat, who leaves office Jan. 18, took action on the bill Saturday, the last possible day he could have vetoed it before it would have become law automatically.
It passed the Senate, 45-4, in October and the House, 161-35, earlier this month. Republican Gov.-elect Tom Corbett has said he would have signed it.
The bill was supported by the National Rifle Association but opposed by the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association.
It said, in part, that "no person should be required to surrender his or her personal safety to a criminal, nor should a person be required to needlessly retreat in the face of intrusion or attack outside the person's home or vehicle."
However, Mr. Rendell was conflicted because Republicans who control the state Senate had packaged the self-defense elements into a wider bill with separate provisions to update the registration requirements of homeless and out-of-state sexual offenders, which he supported.
Mr. Rendell also vetoed two other bills today. One would have limited public access to reports by county coroners and the other would have expanded health insurance coverage for ex-firefighters diagnosed with certain types of cancer.
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