City council fights federal bill on concealed guns
Share with others:
Pittsburgh City Council -- long known for its tough stance on guns -- demanded Tuesday that Congress vote down a bill that would require states to honor each others' concealed-handgun laws.
Council passed a resolution opposing the National Right-To-Carry Reciprocity Bill, introduced by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Florida, saying the bill would threaten public safety, put police officers at risk and undermine states' rights. The resolution will be sent to members of the state's congressional delegation.
"It's absolutely absurd that this could become federal law," Councilman Bruce Kraus, the resolution's sponsor, said.
Council members also called on the police department to enforce the city's law on reporting lost and stolen handguns and to begin publicizing the sources of handguns used in violent crimes. Asked whether the department is enforcing the law on lost and stolen handguns, spokeswoman Diane Richard said in an email, "Absolutely!"
The city's law, designed to prevent suppliers from giving guns to criminals and later claiming they are stolen, requires owners to immediately report lost or stolen guns.
Pennsylvania has reciprocity agreements with 25 states that have concealed-handgun laws comparable to its own, according to Mr. Kraus' resolution.
Mr. Stearns' bill would require all states to recognize each others' permits, even though permit standards vary across the country. Under the bill, Pennsylvania could deny a permit to a resident who doesn't meet its standards while being required to honor an out-of-state permit held by a person with the same background.
The National Rifle Association supports the bill, saying it would "require the states to recognize each others' right to carry permits, just as they recognize driver's licenses and carry permits held by armored car guards." Gun-control groups have lined up to oppose the bill.
Similar bills have died in Congress before. The NRA said the legislation would require permit holders to obey each state's restrictions on where concealed handguns may be carried.
Council's stance on handguns includes a 1993 ban on assault rifles, later quashed by the state Legislature. Council's 2008 ordinance requiring residents to report lost and stolen handguns survived a legal challenge by the NRA and a handful of residents.
However, Councilman Ricky Burgess maintains that the law will be challenged again - and struck down - the first time the department cites somebody for failing to report a handgun loss or theft. On Tuesday, the department said the law is being enforced but noted that it doesn't track the number of citations being issued.
If the law eventually is struck down, Mr. Burgess said, the heat will be on the Legislature to pass tougher gun-control laws. Councilman Doug Shields called on police to begin publicizing the sources of handguns used in violent crimes; the department didn't respond to questions on whether it's willing to do that.
First Published October 4, 2011 9:36 pm
