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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Stephany Dugan |
State Rep. Nick Kotik |
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Kotik wants alternative to pending shutdown of gun-buyer check system
CORAOPOLIS, Aug. 21 – State Rep. Nick Kotik, D-Allegheny, is seeking an alternative to a pending temporary shutdown of the Pennsylvania Instant Check System, or PICS, that he said would negatively impact area sportsmen and businesses. The system allows retailers to do instant background checks of potential gun purchases.
PICS will be unavailable from 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2 to noon Thursday, Sept. 6. The state police have scheduled the shutdown of the system in order to upgrade it. During the shutdown, all calls are to be forwarded to an operator and placed in undetermined or denied status until the system has regained operation.
Kotik explained that gun purchases in Pennsylvania will be suspended during that time.
“I understand that the upgrade is necessary and that ample time is needed to perform the necessary upgrades to the system; however, retailers should have been given more advanced notice to properly prepare,” Kotik said. “Hunters in Pennsylvania will also feel the impact of this shutdown, which comes at time when gun sales to sportsmen are usually up.”
Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus have written letters to Gov. Ed Rendell and State Police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller calling on the state to reconsider the shutdown, and to either postpone it or find an alternative method of conducting background checks during that week so that gun sales can continue.
“I believe there is still time to find an alternative to this plan and it should be one that does not adversely affect retailers and sportsmen, but still accomplishes the necessary update to the background check system,” Kotik said.
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