Pa House Judiciary Committee After Action Report

Readers might want to say thanks to pro gun legislators, as well as possibly something to the anti gunners.

ORGANIZATION: Allegheny County Sportsmen's League, Inc.

PRIORITY: High



***Allegheny County Sportsmen's League*** November 23, 2007



***LEGISLATIVE ALERT AFTER ACTION REPORT



Issue: Judiciary Committee Vote – November 20th –House Bills 18, 22, 29



Alan,



CONGRATULATIONS!!! November 20th will LONG be remembered as the day a sitting Governor, Ed Rendell, took on the gun owners of Pennsylvania by personally appearing before the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee to testify in favor three unconstitutional anti-gun bills--HB 18, HB 22, HB 29—AND LOST!!



Governor Rendell gave an emotional speech in support of HB 18, HB 22 and HB 29, once again ignoring the real causes and solutions to violent crime and falsely claiming that gun control is the answer - just as mainstream doctors once prescribed bleeding as the answer to almost every ailment.



Sitting beside the governor during his testimony was his State Police commissioner. Unlike real police officers, PSP commissioners serve at the pleasure of the governor just as chiefs of police serve at the pleasure of mayors and city councils. Commissioner Miller and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association have previously demonstrated a callous disregard for competitive target shooters and American soldiers by supporting a ban on the very AR-15 H-BAR target rifles and CAR-15 type carbines that are used in competition and in training our military troops prior to deployment to supplement the inadequate marksmanship and use training. The troopers and officers who serve the public under such leadership deserve our deepest sympathies, respect and support.



It is important to note that Governor Rendell and Chairman Caltagirone would not have scheduled HB 18, HB 22, and HB 29 for a vote if they didn't think that their dog and pony show would prevail. They were wrong!!!



THE VOTES



House Bill 18 was DEFEATED 19-10

**Pro-Gun Votes-(HB 18)

Representative, Deberah, Kula

[email protected], District-52, Party-D, (717) 772-1858

Representative, John E., Pallone

[email protected], District-54, Party-D, (717) 783-1819, J-Sub Com C&C

Representative, Joseph A., Petrarca

[email protected], District-55, Party-D, (717) 787-5142

Representative, Sean M., Ramaley

[email protected], District-16, Party-D, (717) 787-4444

Representative, Don, Walko

[email protected], District-20, Party-D, (717) 787-5470, J-Sub Com Court

Representative, Jesse, White

[email protected], District-46, Party-D, (717) 783-6437

Representative, Ronald S., Marisco

[email protected], District-105, Party-R, (717) 783-2014, Minor Chair

Representative, Thomas C., Creighton

[email protected], District-37, Party-R, (717) 772-5290

Representative, Craig A., Dally

[email protected], District-138, Party-R, (717) 783-8573, MinorV.Chair

Representative, John R., Evans

[email protected], District-5, Party-R, (717) 772-9940

Representative, Will, Gabig

[email protected], District-199, Party-R, (717) 772-2280

Representative, Glen R., Grell

[email protected], District-87, Party-R, (717) 783-2063

Representative, Kate, Harper

[email protected], District-61, Party-R, (717) 787-2801

Representative, Beverly, Mackereth

[email protected], District-196, Party-R, (717) 783-2655

Representative, Carl W., Mantz

[email protected], District-187, Party-R, (717) 787-3017

Representative, Bernard T., O'Neill

[email protected], District-29, Party-R, (717) 705-7170

Representative, Tina, Pickett

[email protected], District-110, Party-R, (717) 783-8238

Representative, Todd, Rock

[email protected], District-90, Party-R, (717) 783-5218

Representative, Katie, True

[email protected], District-41, Party-R, (717) 705-7161



**Anti-Gun Votes-(HB 18)

Representative, Lisa, Bennington

[email protected], District-21, Party-D, (717) 705-7011

Representative, Thomas R., Caltagirone

[email protected], District-127, Party-D, (717) 787-3525, J-Major Chair

Representative, Dan B., Frankel

[email protected], District-23, Party-D, (717) 705-1875

Representative, Harold, James

[email protected], District-186, Party-D, (717) 787-9477

Representative, Daylin, Leach

[email protected], District-149, Party-D, (717) 783-9114, J-Secretary

Representative, Bryan R., Lentz

[email protected], District-161, Party-D, (717) 787-8574

Representative, Kathy M., Manderino

[email protected], District-194, Party-D, (717) 787-1254, J-Sub Com F.L.

Representative, Greg S., Vitali

[email protected], District-166, Party-D, (717) 787-7647

Representative, Chelsa, Wagner

[email protected], District-22, Party-D, (717) 783-1582

Representative, Jewell, Williams

[email protected], District-197, Party-D, (717) 772-2004



House Bill 22 was DEFEATED 17-12

**Pro-Gun Votes –(HB22)

Representative, Deberah, Kula

[email protected], District-52, Party-D, (717) 772-1858

Representative, John E., Pallone

[email protected], District-54, Party-D, (717) 783-1819, J-Sub Com C&C

Representative, Joseph A., Petrarca

[email protected], District-55, Party-D, (717) 787-5142

Representative, Sean M., Ramaley

[email protected], District-16, Party-D, (717) 787-4444

Representative, Don, Walko

[email protected], District-20, Party-D, (717) 787-5470, J-Sub Com Court

Representative, Jesse, White

[email protected], District-46, Party-D, (717) 783-6437

Representative, Ronald S., Marisco

[email protected], District-105, Party-R, (717) 783-2014, Minor Chair

Representative, Thomas C., Creighton

[email protected], District-37, Party-R, (717) 772-5290

Representative, Craig A., Dally

[email protected], District-138, Party-R, (717) 783-8573, MinorV.Chair

Representative, John R., Evans

[email protected], District-5, Party-R, (717) 772-9940

Representative, Will, Gabig

[email protected], District-199, Party-R, (717) 772-2280

Representative, Glen R., Grell

[email protected], District-87, Party-R, (717) 783-2063

Representative, Beverly, Mackereth

[email protected], District-196, Party-R, (717) 783-2655

Representative, Carl W., Mantz

[email protected], District-187, Party-R, (717) 787-3017

Representative, Tina, Pickett

[email protected], District-110, Party-R, (717) 783-8238

Representative, Todd, Rock

[email protected], District-90, Party-R, (717) 783-5218

Representative, Katie, True

[email protected], District-41, Party-R, (717) 705-7161



**Anti-Gun Votes-(HB 22)

Representative, Kate, Harper

[email protected], District-61, Party-R, (717) 787-2801

Representative, Bernard T., O'Neill

[email protected], District-29, Party-R, (717) 705-7170

Representative, Lisa, Bennington

[email protected], District-21, Party-D, (717) 705-7011

Representative, Thomas R., Caltagirone

[email protected], District-127, Party-D, (717) 787-3525, J-Major Chair

Representative, Dan B., Frankel

[email protected], District-23, Party-D, (717) 705-1875

Representative, Harold, James

[email protected], District-186, Party-D, (717) 787-9477

Representative, Daylin, Leach

[email protected], District-149, Party-D, (717) 783-9114, J-Secretary

Representative, Bryan R., Lentz

[email protected], District-161, Party-D, (717) 787-8574

Representative, Kathy M., Manderino

[email protected], District-194, Party-D, (717) 787-1254, J-Sub Com F.L.

Representative, Greg S., Vitali

[email protected], District-166, Party-D, (717) 787-7647

Representative, Chelsa, Wagner

[email protected], District-22, Party-D, (717) 783-1582

Representative, Jewell, Williams

[email protected], District-197, Party-D, (717) 772-2004



House Bill 29 was TABLED 12-17

**Vote to Table-(HB 29)

Representative, Thomas R., Caltagirone

[email protected], District-127, Party-D, (717) 787-3525, J-Major Chair

Representative, Lisa, Bennington

[email protected], District-21, Party-D, (717) 705-7011

Representative, Dan B., Frankel

[email protected], District-23, Party-D, (717) 705-1875

Representative, Harold, James

[email protected], District-186, Party-D, (717) 787-9477

Representative, Daylin, Leach

[email protected], District-149, Party-D, (717) 783-9114, J-Secretary

Representative, Bryan R., Lentz

[email protected], District-161, Party-D, (717) 787-8574

Representative, Kathy M., Manderino

[email protected], District-194, Party-D, (717) 787-1254, Sub Com F.L.

Representative, John E., Pallone

[email protected], District-54, Party-D, (717) 783-1819, J-Sub Com C&C

Representative, Sean M., Ramaley

[email protected], District-16, Party-D, (717) 787-4444

Representative, Greg S., Vitali

[email protected], District-166, Party-D, (717) 787-7647

Representative, Chelsa, Wagner

[email protected], District-22, Party-D, (717) 783-1582

Representative, Don, Walko

[email protected], District-20, Party-D, (717) 787-5470, J-Sub Com Court

Representative, Jesse, White

[email protected], District-46, Party-D, (717) 783-6437

Representative, Jewell, Williams

[email protected], District-197, Party-D, (717) 772-2004

Representative, Will, Gabig

[email protected], District-199, Party-R, (717) 772-2280

Representative, Kate, Harper

[email protected], District-61, Party-R, (717) 787-2801

Representative, Bernard T., O'Neill

[email protected], District-29, Party-R, (717) 705-7170



**Vote AGAINST Tabling-(HB 29)

Representative, Deberah, Kula

[email protected], District-52, Party-D, (717) 772-1858

Representative, Joseph A., Petrarca

[email protected], District-55, Party-D, (717) 787-5142

Representative, Ronald S., Marisco

[email protected], District-105, Party-R, (717) 783-2014, Minor Chair

Representative, Thomas C., Creighton

[email protected], District-37, Party-R, (717) 772-5290

Representative, Craig A., Dally

[email protected], District-138, Party-R, (717) 783-8573, MinorV.Chair

Representative, John R., Evans

[email protected], District-5, Party-R, (717) 772-9940

Representative, Glen R., Grell

[email protected], District-87, Party-R, (717) 783-2063

Representative, Beverly, Mackereth

[email protected], District-196, Party-R, (717) 783-2655

Representative, Carl W., Mantz

[email protected], District-187, Party-R, (717) 787-3017

Representative, Tina, Pickett

[email protected], District-110, Party-R, (717) 783-8238

Representative, Todd, Rock

[email protected], District-90, Party-R, (717) 783-5218

Representative, Katie, True

[email protected], District-41, Party-R, (717) 705-7161





* House Bill 29 was tabled to avoid a sweep by gun owners of these bills and also in the hopes that a very minor amendment can be added so that another vote on this bill can be taken. There is NO WAY of making this concept better and it is still very bad and dangerous legislation, even with the proposed amendment.



Another bad bill, House Bill 1744 was previously rushed out of Judiciary committee because the NRA tweaked it and then withdrew its objections. The prime sponsor of HB 1744 is Judiciary Chairman Caltagirone who voted FOR--HB 18, HB 22, HB 29. HB 1744 was scheduled for a full House floor vote last Wednesday, but was temporarily derailed because of an analysis drafted by the ACSL and PSA that detailed numerous serious problems in the version released from the House Judiciary Committee, previously overlooked by the NRA. These flaws were discussed after the Judiciary Committee vote in the Appropriations Committee and on Harrisburg radio by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, Larry Pratt of GOA and Melody Zullinger of the PFSC. This legislation did pass out of the Judiciary Committee but is currently on hold in the House of Representatives due to the ACSL/PSA/PRPA/LVFC/PGOA/GOA position in opposition to it.



Please go to the Allegheny County Sportsmen's League website for analysis of these bills: http://www.acslpa.org/



http://www.acslpa.org/n-legislative/PA Gunowners Under Attack/pa_gun_owners_under_attack.htm



FREEDOM PREVAILED ON THIS DAY BECAUSE OF GRASSROOTS ACTION



Thursday evening (Nov. 15), the ACSL and PSA issued an alert that listed the following organizations as being on record as opposing the legislation. The ACSL/PSA alert was widely distributed. Chomping at the bit for its first major legislative fight was the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association http://www.pafoa.org/. The founder of the PAFOA is an expert in internet communications and has assembled a very large email list of dedicated Pennsylvania activists. Special thanks to Melody Zullinger of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Judy Brown of the Second Amendment Sisters, Ken O'Donnell of West Shore Sportsmen's Association, Inc and Jack Lee of the Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association (PR&PA).

Each of them went above and beyond. They certainly did their part as did the members and leaders of every organization listed below.



The grassroots organizations observing and tracking these bills are listed below:

Allegheny County Sportsmen's League (ACSL),
Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs (PFSC),
Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Association (PSA),
National Rifle Association (NRA),
Gun Owners of America (GOA),
Second Amendment Sisters (SAS),
Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association (PR&PA),
Pennsylvania Gun Collectors Association (PGCA)
Lehigh Valley Firearms Coalition (LVFC),
Philadelphia Federation of Sportsmen's Club,
Pennsylvania Gun Owners Association (PGOA)
Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania (USP)
National Association of Firearms Retailers (NAFR),
Pennsylvania State Fish & Game Protective Association,
The Pink Pistols
OpenCarry.org
Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association (PAFOA)
National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSA)
Western Pennsylvania 30 Caliber League, Inc

Citizen’s Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA)



**(FOAC) Firearms Owners Against Crime records all votes related to firearms and the constitutional connections thereof. Mitigating factors are taken into consideration when reviewing these votes such as presenting on record concerns during debate on legislation and will be so noted in the record for each legislator.



THE RESPONSE:



The ACSL/PSA alert that was issued Thursday evening (the 15th) included the list of organizations opposed and the email addresses of all House Judiciary Committee members. On Friday morning, one committee member reported that in just over an hour he received more than 400 emails encouraging the defeat of the three bills. Another said that he got so many email messages on his Blackberry that it sounded like a machinegun.



We are very grateful for the cooperation of every person who took part in this event. We only ask for help when legislative leaders ignore us and decide to move bad legislation over our objections. The fact that so many individuals quickly acted upon the information that we provided, proved to legislators that they are concerned and will act. Even Committee Chairman Caltagirone commented on the professional demeanor of the gun owners who were present during the hearing. In short, everyone did what they needed to do to defend freedom.



We are also very grateful to the majority of the members of the Judiciary Committee who voted for freedom.



Recently, when the Associated Press asked the House Judiciary Committee Chairman (Caltagirone) why these anti-gun bills were bottled up in committee, this is what he said:



"Of all the groups I've ever dealt with, this by far is probably the most vocal, the most organized and the most politically savvy - communication-wise as well as networking - that I've seen in my time in the Legislature," said 16-term Rep. Tom Caltagirone, D-Berks, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Associated Press September 8, 2007



What do you think he (Caltagirone) will say NOW!!!

See Part 2

After Action Report, Part 2

We strongly believe that the legislature should NOT consider any additional restrictions on Article 1 Section 21 unless they first demonstrate goodwill by removing laws that have been studied and found to not reduce crime to a measurable degree. The burden of proof must be on those who advocate infringements, rather than on those of us who defend freedom!!



The assumptions that justify most gun control laws have NOT withstood independent study.



(2003) (CDC) Centers for Disease Control Task Force (2003) reported that they reviewed 51 published studies about the effectiveness of eight types of gun-control laws. The laws included bans on specific firearms or ammunition, measures barring felons from buying guns, and mandatory waiting periods and firearm registration. In every case the CDC Task Force found "insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of any of the firearms laws reviewed for preventing violence." It should be noted that prior to actually studying the issue and producing this report, the Centers for Disease Control used tax dollars to lobby for gun control laws as a public health measure.



(2005) (NAS) National Academy of Sciences Review "Firearms and Violence, a Critical Review "In summary, the committee concludes that existing research studies and data . . . do not credibly demonstrate a causal relationship between the ownership of firearms and the causes or prevention of criminal violence or suicide. The issue of substitution (of the means of committing homicide or suicide) has been almost entirely ignored in the literature . . ."



As further evidence, consider that Vermont has almost no gun laws and very low crime. Clearly, if you want a solution to crime, you need to look beyond scapegoating gun owners. Somehow the Governator forgot to cite those studies in his address to the committee. Of course PA Gun Owners know that these weren’t his first and will not be his last sins of omission when it comes to his advocacy of Gun Control!



We DEEPLY appreciate your patience and help with this attack on our Freedoms and we will do our BEST to keep you informed on the threats ahead!



Respectfully,



Kim Stolfer Harry Schneider
Legislative Committee, Chairman Legislative Committee, Chairman
Allegheny County Sportsmen's League Pennsylvania Sportsmen's Association

E-Mail -- [email protected] [email protected]

Website -- www.acslpa.org

(412) 221-3346, Home Phone

(412) 257-1099, Home Fax



PS; as additional evidence that Governator Rendell is out of touch with real police officers, read this letter to the editor:



The Philadelphia Tribune:

Tue, Apr. 10, 2007



Put the blame where it lies: The killers



We have to stop pointing the finger everywhere but at the very people who prey on us each day. Over time we have allowed our value system to erode. We refuse to hold people accountable for their actions and constantly make excuses for their inexcusable behavior. The incessant cry for tougher gun laws is a good example. Until we're ready to strictly enforce the current laws there is no reason for tougher ones.



Yes, there is a need to work on the social ills at the core of much of the unrest, but that does not mean we should accept those ills as a reason to excuse the behavior. Those engaged in this violent lifestyle know exactly what they're doing. They also know it is wrong. And they also know there are no serious consequences for their actions. It's not a matter of not knowing right from wrong, it's a matter of weighing the risk. And today they face very little risk.



Time after time these budding killers are arrested with guns, only to be returned to the streets with a slap on the wrist. Is it any wonder we have trouble getting witnesses to speak up? Instead of holding vigils at murder scenes, groups like Men United for a Better Philadelphia and Mothers in Charge should throw a ring around the Criminal In-Justice Center and demand that our judges hold the criminals accountable.



More than 80 percent of Philadelphia's cold-blooded killers have criminal records. Most of those records are lengthy, many for violent crimes. Every one of those arrests represents an opportunity to send a clear message, before they take another life.



Joseph Fox

Chief of Detectives

Philadelphia Police Department

Philadelphia