Santarsiero at a debate earlier this year.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
State Rep. Steve Santarsiero (D-31) has received enough signatures to ask for a vote on his “No Fly, No Buy,” legislation that is , H.B. 1770.
The bill, H.B. 1770, would prohibit people on the no-fly list or terror watch list from being able to purchase a firearm, through the use of a background check.
The bill originated in January with bipartisan support but since January 12, the bill has been sitting in committee. With the appropriate number of signatures on the discharge petition, Santarsiero will be able to get the bill voted on by the full house without the need of going through a committee.
“A discharge resolution is an extraordinary measure that should only be used when a committee is not fulfilling its responsibility to consider important legislation. That is certainly the case here,” Santarsiero said in a press release. “This idea of prohibiting people on the terror watch list from purchasing a firearm is a reasonable measure that we should adopt to protect citizens from the acts of extremists.”
“For that reason, I am calling on all of my colleagues in the House – Republicans and Democrats – to support this resolution to bring House Bill 1770 to a vote so we can pass it and send it to the Senate and have it become law in Pennsylvania – even if the U.S. Congress refuses to act for the nation,” Santarsiero said.
“Our thoughts, prayers and moments of silence are important to bring us together in grief and support, but they are not enough to solve this growing epidemic,” he said.
“We can protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners while also protecting against more victims of violent extremists with weapons of war,” he said.
Santarsiero, whose district covers Newtown Borough and Newtown Township, is also the prime sponsor of H.B. 1010, Pennsylvania’s universal background check legislation. That bill is also being held in committee.
