Critical gun safety bills to ban homemade machine guns, establish Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and stop the proliferation of untraceable firearms fell short by a single vote this session. CeaseFirePA Action, the Commonwealth’s leading gun violence prevention advocacy organization, aims for a different result next session. Its election endorsements could help build a gun violence prevention majority in the House and a PA Senate willing to debate and vote on critical public safety initiatives.
CeaseFirePA Action endorsed a slate of candidates who will help advance these life-saving policies next session.
“For two straight sessions, life-saving gun safety bills have passed the House only to stall in the PA Senate,” said Adam Garber, CeaseFirePA Action’s CEO. “These candidates can help break that logjam and put proven public safety measures on the Governor’s.”
During the current legislative session, several major gun safety bills received votes in the House:
- FAILED: Extreme Risk Protection Orders would prevent firearm suicides, which comprise 60% of all gun deaths in Pennsylvania, often in rural communities;
- PASSED: Universal Background Checks close a loophole that allows anyone to buy a long gun, such as the AR-15 used in PA’s 19th mass shooting this year at the Trump rally, without a background check;
- FAILED: Ending untraceable firearms that can evade metal detectors and other security measures;
- FAILED: Empowering District Attorneys to prosecute individuals for possession of machine gun converters;
“It’s unconscionable that these life-saving policies, which are supported by Pennsylvanians, including conservatives and gun owners, are waiting for a hearing in the Senate while families attend more funerals. Pennsylvanians across the political spectrum — including gun owners — support commonsense measures to prevent gun violence. Candidates who ignore that broad public support do so at the ballot box.,” said Garber.
STATEWIDE ENDORSEMENTS
- Governor Josh Shapiro
- Lt. Governor Austin Davis
STATE SENATE ENDORSEMENTS
- District 2: Senator Christine M. Tartaglione
- District 4: Senator Art Haywood
- District 8: Senator Anthony H. Williams
- District 10: Senator Steven J. Santarsiero
- District 12: Senator Maria Collett
- District 14: Senator Nick Miller
- District 16: Mark Pinsley
- District 24: Christopher Thomas
- District 26: Senator Timothy P. Kearney
- District 38: Senator Lindsey M. Williams
- District 40: Brian Wrightson
- District 42: Senator Wayne D. Fontana
STATE HOUSE ENDORSEMENTS
- District 12: Brandon Dukes
- District 14: Rep. Robert F. Matzie
- District 18: Bryan Allen
- District 20: Rep. Emily Kinkead
- District 21: Rep. Lindsay Powell
- District 29: Rep. Tim Brennan
- District 30: Rep. Arvind Venkat
- District 31: Rep. Perry S. Warren
- District 33: Rep. Mandy Steele
- District 40: Jon Lloyd
- District 41: Brad Chambers
- District 44: Hadley Haas
- District 46: Mike Crossey
- District 49: Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El
- District 54: Rep. Greg Scott
- District 61: Rep. Liz Hanbidge
- District 70: Rep. Matthew D. Bradford
- District 88: Sara Agerton
- District 95: Rep. Carol Hill-Evans
- District 96: Rep. Nikki Rivera
- District 129: Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz
- District 131: Meriam Sabih
- District 132: Rep. Michael H. Schlossberg
- District 134: Rep. Peter Schweyer
- District 135: Rep. Steve Samuelson
- District 136: Rep. Robert Freeman
- District 137: Jeff Warren
- District 142: Kristin Egan
- District 143: Tim Hayes
- District 144: Rep. Brian Munroe
- District 147: Margaret Burke
- District 149: Rep. Tim Briggs
- District 151: Rep. Melissa Cerrato
- District 153: Rep. Benjamin V. Sanchez
- District 154: Rep. Napoleon J. Nelson
- District 156: Rep. Chris Pielli
- District 157: Rep. Melissa L. Shusterman
- District 159: Rep. Carol Kazeem
- District 160: Elizabeth Moro
- District 161: Rep. Leanne Krueger
- District 163: Rep. Heather Boyd
- District 164: Rep. Gina H. Curry
- District 165: Rep. Jennifer O’Mara
- District 181: Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta
- District 186: Rep. Jordan A. Harris
- District 191: Rep. Joanna E. McClinton
- District 192: Morgan Cephas
- District 194: Rep. Tarik Khan
- District 197: Rep. Danilo Burgos
- District 198: Rep. Darisha K. Parker
- District 203: Rep. Anthony A. Bellmon
ABOUT CEASEFIRE PA
As the Commonwealth’s leading gun violence prevention organization, CeaseFirePA works to ensure everyone can live a life free from gun violence. We organize with communities closest to the issue, hold those in power accountable, and maximize the strengths of every member in our broad coalition.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Adam Garber, CeaseFirePA Action CEO, adam.garber@ceasefirepa.org
Samantha Heckel, samantha@britcrampsie.com
