BullfrogKen
Moderator Emeritus
After reading this, I am 
It doesn't take very long to get a carry permit in PA as it stands. I guess the ability to get it immediately is nice, but that assumes one already has access to a handgun anyway, doesn't it?
I would expect social workers to oppose anything gun related anyway.
Perhaps we should give the victim pepper spray and a cell phone.
Story
It doesn't take very long to get a carry permit in PA as it stands. I guess the ability to get it immediately is nice, but that assumes one already has access to a handgun anyway, doesn't it?
I would expect social workers to oppose anything gun related anyway.
Perhaps we should give the victim pepper spray and a cell phone.
Story
Bill seeks to expedite violence victims' guns
But some local experts fear it would ignite already-volatile situations.
By CARYL CLARKE
Daily Record/Sunday News
Oct 20, 2006 — A statehouse bill to speed up the process for issuing the victims of domestic violence a license to carry a concealed gun worries Twilah Shipley, the director of ACCESS-York.
"Domestic violence situations can be really dangerous and violent and can turn lethal and sometimes fatal," Shipley said. "The guns could possibly be used against the person trying to protect herself or himself and may actually increase the chance of a homicide."
She said she did not think House Bill 2946 is a good idea.
According to the bill, a person seeking a 90-day emergency license to carry a concealed gun would have to show evidence of imminent danger such as a protection-from-abuse order. The sheriff would immediately ask state police for a background check, which takes 14 days.
If the sheriff determines the person has met all the criteria, including being of sound mind, he would immediately issue a temporary 90-day license to carry a concealed firearm.
The process for a comprehensive background check now takes three weeks, said Deputy Sheriff Brian Copenheaver
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler County, sponsored the bill and said 21 days is fast work on the part of the York County Sheriff's office. Other counties work more slowly. He said he wanted to propose a maximum 45-day wait.
The bill surfaced a couple weeks ago when the house as a whole was discussing how to reduce crime, Metcalfe said.
"I am not in favor of it," said Anne Acker, director of Safe Home in Hanover.
"Domestic violence is a very volatile situation. We should focus more on removing guns from the perpetrator than on granting weapons to the victim."
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Brad Lawver of legislative affairs saw a delicate balance between the safety of the applicant who believes she is in imminent danger and the safety of the general public, law enforcement and the victim.
Metcalfe said the bill would empower somebody who is fully eligible to carry a gun to protect herself. The victims aren't limited to abusive domestic relationships; the bill could apply to anybody facing imminent danger, such as a witness testifying against a gangster.
"We have seen where police could not act," Metcalfe said. "People who have had the ability to use a firearm protected themselves, a child or a neighbor and stopped the perpetrator."
It doesn't take a lot of training to use a firearm, Metcalfe said. He learned through attending NRA classes at age 14.
"Hundreds of thousands of people use guns to defend themselves," he said. "A lot of people may still not choose the right they have. Those who are confident they could defend themselves and their loved ones could use the right."
A coalition that supports the bill, Metcalfe said, includes the Second Amendment Sisters and the National Rifle Association.
The government should not erect a wall to stop women trying to protect themselves. It's important to empower every individual, he said.
State Rep. Keith Gillespie, R-Hellam Township, one of the bill's 10 co-sponsors, said the bill might be the only chance for those in imminent danger to protect themselves.
"It is not to escalate the situation," Gillespie said. "I would not want to throw gas on a fire in a volatile situation. For some, this could be the only chance they have."
He expected to meet with representatives from ACCESS-York to discuss the bill.
The bottom line is the bill won't be passed before the General Assembly closes at the end of the year. Gillespie said he did not see the bill making its way out of the Judicial Committee to the floor for a House vote, let alone navigating its way in the state Senate. It would likely await reintroduction next year.
Reach Caryl Clarke at 771-2032 or [email protected].
:banghead: :banghead: 
