Democrats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have advanced gun control measures, including a bill to ban sales of automatic and semi-automatic guns.
The bills passed the Judiciary Committee along party lines and await consideration by the full House.
However, their fate in the state Senate is uncertain, as previous gun control measures faced resistance.
Rep. Tim Briggs said, “These are issues that we were clear at the beginning of the session we wanted to tackle.”
“The first thing we did was have a hearing on gun violence prevention measures,” he continued.
Democrats argue that the bills aim to balance gun ownership with citizen protection, while Republicans have expressed concerns about infringing upon constitutional rights.
Rep. Joe Hamm said, “If the government can infringe on our Second Amendment rights, no rights can be enjoyed by citizens of this nation.”
Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFirePA, said, “This is what it looks like to tackle the violent crime that plagues cities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and everywhere else in between.”
The proposed legislation also includes measures to address mental health reporting and untraceable gun parts.
Gun violence prevention advocates see this as a commitment to addressing violent crime, especially in cities like Philadelphia.
