Pa. gun rights groups marked key victories in 2019

The GOP legislature and courts were in their corner

• Ed Mahon
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  Ed Mahon comes to Spotlight PA from PA Post, where he covered state politics and policy, produced radio stories that were broadcast on public media stations throughout the state and on NPR’s national newscasts, and co-wrote a weekday newsletter. Prior to joining PA Post, Ed worked for six years as an investigative and political reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA Today Network. His reporting on failures in Pennsylvania’s system for protecting domestic abuse victims was a finalist in the national 2018 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists in the local reporting category. He was also part of a team whose coverage of the criminal justice system, including the aggressive use of civil asset forfeiture by York County prosecutors, received the 2018 G. Richard Dew Award for Journalistic Service from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Before joining the York Daily Record, Ed covered K-12 education at the Centre Daily Times in State College and worked as a stringer for suburban sections of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He grew up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

 Ed Mahon / PA Post

A gun rights demonstrator gathers in Harrisburg on May 6, 2019, in the state Capitol.

Ed Mahon / PA Post

A gun rights demonstrator sports a shirt with the text of the Second Amendment and a rendition of the famous Gadsden flag during a demonstration at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., on May 6, 2019. (Ed Mahon / PA Post)

With 2019 almost over, it’s a good time to assess the political fight over guns in Pennsylvania. With a governor and attorney general pushing hard to put new restrictions on gun rights, the past 12 months could be portrayed as a bad year for firearms owners and manufacturers. Even the Pennsylvania director of Gun Owners of America recently criticized House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, for not advancing “a single piece of pro-gun legislation.”

But in 2019, it turns out that gun rights supporters notched five key victories in the legislature and the courts.

Win No. 1: Efforts to pass extreme risk protection orders, which would allow courts to temporarily remove someone’s gun rights, got stuck in committees in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. And at least one key GOP lawmaker says a red flag bill will never pass as long as he has a say.

Win No. 2: An Allegheny County judge struck down multiple gun ordinances in Pittsburgh in October, including one that created a version of an extreme risk protection order, saying that state law prevents the city from regulating firearms. City Council members had passed the ordinances following the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting on Oct. 27, 2018, the deadliest attack against the Jewish community in the United States. Pittsburgh has appealed the case to Commonwealth Court.

Win No. 3: A Commonwealth Court decision in September makes it easier for outside groups to challenge gun ordinances passed by municipalities. The city of Harrisburg has filed a petition seeking to appeal the case to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Win No. 4: For the first time in Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s 5 years in office, the group CeaseFirePA urged him to veto a bill. The group urged Wolf to reject Senate Bill 621, which allows private contractors, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs to serve as armed security in schools. CeaseFirePA argued that more guns in schools would not make students safer. But Wolf signed the bill, defending his decision in part by arguing it clarified existing law to ensure that teachers can’t carry guns in school. The gun rights group Firearms Owners Against Crime supported SB 621.

Win No. 5: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court in May ruled that police can’t stop and search suspects just because they’re believed to be armed, as The Morning Call reported. Joshua Prince, a gun rights attorney, called the decision “monumental.”

Will 2020 be another good year for gun rights groups? Here are four questions heading into the new year.

Question No. 1: Will the attorney general’s “ghost gun” opinion survive a legal challenge? In December, Attorney General Josh Shapiro issued a legal opinion that tells police to treats certain unassembled gun parts as if they are guns. The order means that convicted felons and others banned from possessing guns could face criminal charges if police find them with un-assembled gun parts. Gun parts manufacturers and a gun rights group are challenging the opinion.

Questions No. 2 and 3: What will the Special Council on Gun Violence, created by Gov. Wolf, recommend? And will lawmakers listen to those recommendations (which are due this spring)?

Question No. 4: Will Philadelphia’s version of an extreme risk protection order bill be challenged in court and overturned?  “We’ve been given encouraging news from the Law Department that it does have legs to stand on,” said City Councilman Curtis Jones, The Philadelphia Tribune reported. The ordinance doesn’t specify a timeline for when the city must implement the new law.

Best of the rest

Emily Previti / PA Post

Northampton County Election Commissioner Maudeania Hornik speaks during a Dec. 19, 2019, meeting of the Northampton County Election Commission in Easton, Pa. Hornik says confidence in election integrity is particular critical in swing counties like Northampton. Hornik is the only one of the five commissioners who will return next year for another term. (Emily Previti/PA Post)

• The Morning Call obtained emails that shed new light on the problems Northampton County experienced at the polls on Election Day. “The touch screens on these new machines are garbage,” one judge of elections wrote to the county. The machine, the ExpressVote XL, is the subject of two lawsuits, as PA Post’s Emily Previti has reported.

• Two Amish men from Pennsylvania’s 11th congressional district, which covers Lancaster County and part of York County, met recently with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, LNP reports. The Oval Office visit by the Amish delegation, which also included representatives from Ohio and Indiana, was the first such visit in memory, The Washington Times reported. Back in 2016, WITF’s Katie Meyer looked at efforts by Trump supporters to win over members of the community known for their plain dress and reluctance to adopt new technology.

• Tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are scheduled to go up by 6 percent on Jan. 5, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Reporter Ed Blazina explains what’s causing the increase.

• The Post-Gazette also reports on Republican Congressman Guy Reschenthaler’s prediction that his party will win back the House in 2020. We won’t be able to fact check that prediction until November, but reporter Julian Routh did look into a claim from Reschenthaler about President Trump’s polling numbers in Pa.

• The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants 34-17 on Sunday, winning a spot in the NFL playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t as fortunate.

• NewsMatch deadline is tomorrow night! It’s not too late to make a contribution to our end-of-year fundraising campaign. Tax deductible gifts made before midnight tomorrow are matched three times over — your $25 becomes $100 for our independent, nonprofit newsroom. Go to support.papost.org.