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PA Legislative News Jan 11 2023

MEMORANDUM

From:Representative Stephen Kinsey and Rep. Carol Hill-Evans
To:All House members
Subject:Prohibiting Weapons at Public Demonstrations
 
The right to express, promote, pursue, and defend one’s beliefs is fundamental to a functioning democracy. Civics teaches us that we should be able to exercise this constitutional right peacefully, but current law does not guarantee this. Citizens participating in public demonstrations, marches, speeches, picketing, and vigils are always vulnerable to threats of violence.    As we have seen in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the possession of firearms and other dangerous articles during a public demonstration presents a clear and present danger to not only law enforcement and other first responders but also to people who participate in and attend public demonstrations. To preserve the safety of those exercising their right to peacefully assemble, our legislation would make it unlawful for a person participating in or attending a public demonstration to possess a firearm or other dangerous article.    Please join us in supporting this important legislation that preserves one of the most basic principles of our democracy and keeps public demonstrations safe for all Pennsylvanians.    House of Representatives
Session of 2023 – 2024 Regular Session     *********************************************************************************   MEMORANDUM Posted: January 11, 2023 01:11 PM From: Representative Stephen Kinsey and Rep. Manuel Guzman, Jr. To: All House members Subject: Encoded Ammunition     With more than three-quarters of homicides in Pennsylvania involving firearms, it is more important now than ever to ensure that the individuals responsible are found.  Far too often, all that is left for police to find is a victim and a bullet – untraceable, unidentifiable, and barely useable in finding the offender.  Bullets could be more than just ammunition, however.  Encoded ammunition, with specific numbers, could give our law enforcement officers a way to solve more of these despicable crimes.    Our legislation would help our law enforcement officers track down these criminals by requiring ammunition manufacturers to encode ammunition provided for retail sale.  It would also require manufacturers to provide ammunition serial numbers to the state police, who would then keep a database on all encoded ammunition sold in the state.  Finally, a tax of five cents per round of ammunition would be imposed on all non-law enforcement ammunition sales, with some individuals able to file for a tax return credit of 0.5 percent of the gross amount paid.    As legislators, we must do everything we can to protect our communities.  When gun violence threatens our constituents and their loved ones, there can be no more standing by.  Please join us in supporting this legislation and ensuring that we have the tools necessary to convict individuals who use their firearms for unlawful, dangerous purposes.  *********************************************************************************     MEMORANDUM Posted: January 11, 2023 11:18 AM From: Representative Mike Zabel To: All House members Subject: One Handgun a Month / Ending Illegal Firearm Trafficking in Pennsylvania     Each year, numerous guns are trafficked throughout the United States via the Iron Pipeline, a system of states with weak gun laws that allow individuals to obtain firearms via illegal means, like straw purchases.  With roughly 8,850 crime guns traced to Pennsylvania in 2020, and 431 alone supplied from our state to New Jersey, our place in the Iron Pipeline cannot be ignored.
 
My legislation aims to combat this problem by placing a limit on purchases of handguns in Pennsylvania, allowing one handgun per person within any 30-day period.  Exceptions would be made for licensed firearm dealers, licensed collectors, law enforcement and correction facilities, licensed private security companies, antique firearms, and stolen firearms.  In addition, it would create a pathway for citizens to earn advance permission to purchase more than one gun during the 30-day period.  Fines or fees from violators would be deposited into the Violence Prevention Fund and be used for police grants to prevent gun-related injuries.
 
We must accept that we have a responsibility to end the illegal firearm trafficking taking place in Pennsylvania.  I ask that you please join me in taking the first step to prevent more reckless gun trafficking – we cannot continue to allow Pennsylvania guns to put at risk the lives of men, women, and children across the nation.

January Lottery Winners 2023

Congratulations to all our Winners!

JANUARY 22: Winning Number: 585 Winner: Vincent Giovanniello Sold By: Self Prize: $200

JANUARY 19: Winning Number: 969 Winner: Ron Miller Sold By: Clint Bonnett Prize: $350

JANUARY 18: Winning Number: 989 Winner: John Pinzone Sold By: Self Prize: $200

JANUARY 17: Winning Number: 976 Winner: Brian Snyder Sold By: Keith Raser Prize: $300

JANUARY 16 : Winning Number: 285 Winner: Judy Faretra Sold By: Robert Decker Prize: $250

JANUARY 15: Winning Number: 568 Winner: Katheryn DeClerck Sold By: Self Prize: $500

JANUARY 14: Winning Number: 299 Winner: Ken Morris Sold By: John Pinzone Prize: $200

JANUARY 13: Winning Number: 260 Winner: George Larsson Sold By: Rich Knight Prize: $300

JANUARY 12 : Winning Number: 980 Winner: Betty Buccine Sold By: Robert Decker Prize: $200

JANUARY 11: Winning Number: 850 Winner: Dolly Diaz Sold By: Colin Brennan Prize: $350

JANUARY 9: Winning Number: 445 Winner: John Finkeldie, Jr. Sold By: Self Prize: $350

JANUARY 8: Winning Number: 804 Winner: Scott Schraldi Sold By: Jim Keveson Prize: $300

JANUARY 7: Winning Number: 962 Winner: Keith Ehre  Sold By: Ray Wagner Prize: $400

JANUARY 6: Winning Number: 788 Winner: George Segnini Sold By: Tom Colaluca Prize: $250