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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Dan Frankel |
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Frankel rallies for smarter handgun laws, encouraged by support
HARRISBURG, Dec. 10 – State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, today joined Gov. Ed Rendell, fellow legislators, members of CeaseFire PA and numerous police officers at a Capitol rally calling for more common sense in Pennsylvania’s handgun laws.
“I was encouraged by the turnout at today’s rally, particularly the many police officers who showed up from throughout Pennsylvania. They know firsthand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to protecting law-abiding citizens, and where the criminals are getting their handguns. We owe it to our brave law enforcement officers and all citizens to stop arming criminals,” said Frankel, chairman of the Allegheny County Democratic Delegation in the House.
Frankel has previously introduced a bill that would require reporting of lost or stolen handguns within 24 hours. He is co-sponsoring this session’s version of the bill (H.B. 29).
“I have been fighting this battle for a long time, and I am pleased to see that support is growing for bills like this. Right now, you have to report a stolen car, but not a stolen handgun. This bill would correct this bizarre provision and require reporting of lost or stolen handguns within 24 hours. This would be a tool prosecutors could use to lock up straw purchasers, and it would help police to track and catch criminals who steal handguns from law-abiding owners,” Frankel said.
While the House Judiciary Committee rejected two other handgun bills last month, it chose to defer action on that bill.
“Handguns are deadly weapons and can cost hundreds of dollars – they’re a possession people generally keep track of, unlike old books, clothes or toys that collect dust on a shelf or in a closet. This bill would make it tougher to use the ‘oops’ defense of claiming handguns were lost or stolen when someone actually sold or gave the weapons to criminals,” Frankel said. “We may need to fine-tune the details, but we can and should save lives by making common-sense, limited changes like this – sooner rather than later.”
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MEDIA CONTACT: Ben Turner |