With only a handful of days left before the Pennsylvania General Assembly adjourns for the year, legislation that would strengthen Pennsylvania’s firearms preemption law remains idle.
It is imperative that you contact your state Senator and Representative TODAY and urge them to take action on this important measure. For contact information or help identifying your state lawmakers please click here. |
Title 18 Pa.C.S., Section 6120. Limitation on municipal regulation of firearms and ammunition specifically states that "No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth."
However, in defiance of this statute, nearly fifty local governments listed below have enacted illegal ordinances contrary to state law.
Abington Township Aliquippa Allentown Ambler Baldwin Braddock Brentwood Bridgeport Castle Shannon Catasauqua Charleroi Cheltenham Chester Clairton Conshohocken Duquesne |
Easton Erie Glassport Harrisburg Hatfield Township Heidelberg Homestead Jenkintown Lancaster Liberty Lincoln Munhall Norristown Oxford Philadelphia Pittsburgh |
Plymouth Township Pottsville Radnor Township Reading Sharon Hill Swarthmore Upper Merion Township West Chester West Conshohocken West Homestead West Mifflin Whitaker Whitemarsh Township Wilkinsburg Wilson York |
If you live in one of the above localities, please contact your Mayor and members of your municipal governing body and ask them to strike down all firearms ordinances contrary to state law.
State preemption regulating firearms was enacted by the legislature to avoid the possibility of 2,639 separate firearm laws across the Commonwealth. Currently, there are three bills pending, SB 1438, SB 273 and HB 1523, that would address the illegal local gun control ordinances that have been enacted.
Anti-gun advocacy groups are busy lobbying Harrisburg lawmakers to defeat these measures. Without preemption there would be a myriad of local firearm laws making compliance impossible for law-abiding gun owners. In fact, gun owners would have difficulty even knowing about laws, much less understanding them.
It is imperative that these local gun control ordinances be eliminated and the state legislature immediately acts to stop this activity from occurring in the future. Time is running out! Contact your state Senator and Representative today and urge them to pass legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania’s firearms preemption law before recess. For contact information or help identifying your elected officials please click here.