PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Pennsylvania Senate passed a pair of bills dealing with guns this week. Both are headed for a veto, but not without some intense debate.
One bill would allow what supporters call "Constitutional carry," removing the need to have a permit to carry a concealed handgun or to have a loaded gun in a car.
The other would punish counties or municipalities if they enact gun laws that are stricter than state law.
The legislation would lift a rule in Philadelphia that, unlike the rest of the state, requires a permit for open carry — for example, an unconcealed gun in a hip holster.
The debate not only broke down along party lines, but also between urban and rural areas.
"In high crime rate communities, a long wait for concealed carry permit could be a matter of life or death. Concealed carry makes our communities and our people safer," said Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano from South Central Pennsylvania.
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Northwestern Pennsylvania Republican state Sen. Chris Dush argued the blame is wrongly placed on guns.
"Everybody's talking gun violence, gun violence, gun violence," he said. "The problem is violence. 90% of our male incarcerated individuals do not have a male role model in the home."
Democratic state Sen. Anthony Williams from Philadelphia and Delaware counties countered by saying many of those families lost fathers who were murdered by guns.
"To pour salt of the wounds of the 500-plus homicide victims in Philadelphia taken by guns is beyond iinsensitive and is numbing of the mind," he replied.
Republicans argue the legislation is only clarifying Constitutional rights and more people with concealed guns could make someone think twice before they used a gun to commit a crime.
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But Williams pointed to 8-year-old Fanta Bility, who was shot and killed by police outside a high school football game in Sharon Hill in August.
"The police officer said he heard gunfire in the background and turned around and shot into a crowd of children," he said. "Can you imagine what that police officer is going to do when they arrive at a crime scene and everyone has a gun and he or she doesn't know who did what?"
Republican state Sen. Wayne Langerholc said if a municipality is concerned about getting sued because of a gun law, "Repeal your ordinance that is blatantly in the face of existing law."
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But Bucks County Democratic state Sen. Steve Santarsiero argued some towns have laws, because as he puts it, the state legislature refuses to take action.
"Things like not allowing guns in playgrounds. Think about that for a minute, not allowing guns in playgrounds. That is the kind of ordinance that Senate Bill 448 right now would put our communities at risk for being sued over," he said.
The bills head to the state House, which has passed similar legislation, but face a veto from Gov. Tom Wolf.
