PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A pair of Southeastern Pennsylvania Republican state lawmakers are pushing to expand a law that they say would help stem the violence in Philadelphia by letting the state attorney general step in.
Gov. Tom Wolf signed Act 58 into law in 2019. It gave the Office of the Attorney General authority to investigate and charge certain gun crimes in Philadelphia.
But Rep. Craig Williams (R-Delaware, Chester counties) said Attorney General Josh Shapiro has refused to use that authority.
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“At the time, the Attorney General refused to prosecute gun crime in Philadelphia. Philadelphians were murdered at a record rate. We sent Josh Shapiro to the plate, and he whiffed. So we're putting the ball on a tee for him again," Williams said.
“In 2021, the law expired having never been used. At the time the attorney general refused to prosecute gun crime in Philadelphia. Philadelphians were murdered at a record rate.”
Williams and Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) are introducing a bill that would extend the act, as she points the finger at the city’s district attorney.
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“None of this is surprising, unfortunately. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is an ineffective prosecutor who has refused to fully prosecute many offenses,” said White.
“With Krasner's refusal to do his job, the criminals know it is open season. As state officials, we have a responsibility to oversee public safety in our cities and counties."
White and Williams are asking Shapiro to step in and, as White said, “help address is illegal guns being used to commit murder on the streets, as homicides continue to rage on in Philadelphia, and now with carjackings at their highest level in years.”
The Attorney General's office called it a “fake solution to a very real problem in Philadelphia,” noting the bill has been put together with no input from his office.
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office called it a “comically timed stunt."
"Representatives White and Williams seem to be completely ignorant of the fact that the District Attorney and Attorney General already work collaboratively to address gun violence," Krasner’s office added.
White and Williams pointed out the initial bill passed the state Senate unanimously and passed the House 194-3.
The current bill is in the House Judiciary Committee.
