Gov. Tom Wolf | Courtesy of wolftransitionpa.com
Gov. Tom Wolf | Courtesy of wolftransitionpa.com
On Feb. 4, Gov. Tom Wolf followed through on his vow to veto a measure to prevent municipal firearms restrictions.
Wolf, a Democrat, refused to sign into law House Bill 979, which would’ve given gun owners and gun-rights groups an avenue to pursue civil damages from jurisdictions that approve gun restrictions, Lancaster NBC affiliate WGAL reported.
According to a Jan. 31 Tweet from the governor, HB 979 discourages laws intended to curb gun violence.
“I’ll veto House Bill 979,” Wolf wrote. “Recently passed by the state legislature, this bill would discourage local jurisdictions from passing laws to help curb gun violence. Gun violence deaths are on the rise. Our legislature should act to save lives instead of passing bills like this one.”
Aside from placing limitations on the regulation of firearms and ammunition, the legislation would also prevent local jurisdictions from imposing ordinances by allowing anyone that faces local regulations to file a lawsuit and be entitled to reimbursement for fees accrued, the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s website said.
The governor asserted in his veto message that if HB 979 were law, it would impede the City of Philadelphia from implementing laws that aim to minimalize gun violence.
According to Wolf, the state’s largest city “saw more gun violence-related deaths than days in January.”
“I have offered many ideas that would help keep Pennsylvanians safe while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners, including legislation to require safe storage, authorize extreme risk protection orders, enhance reporting requirements for lost or stolen guns and close gaps in the background check system – and yet, I have not received a bill from the General Assembly that seeks to address this issue in a meaningful way,” he said in the statement. “Instead, I have received a bill that seeks to attack local governments who wish to find solutions for those that they serve. I urge the Republican-controlled General Assembly to stop enabling the problem and step up to be a part of the solution.”
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