{"id":2085370,"date":"2023-10-31T14:12:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T18:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-lawmakers-push-for-universal-gun-background-checks\/"},"modified":"2023-10-31T14:16:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T18:16:01","slug":"pennsylvania-lawmakers-push-for-universal-gun-background-checks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-lawmakers-push-for-universal-gun-background-checks\/","title":{"rendered":"PA lawmakers advocate for universal gun background checks."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpennsylvania-lawmakers-push-for-universal-gun-background-checks%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2085370&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<p>The damage\u200c inflicted by\u2062 criminals wielding \u200cguns was painfully evident\u2064 on Monday as individuals who had lost loved ones to shootings shared their\u2064 emotional testimonies\u200c during \u200ba \u2063Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Hearing\u200d advocating for universal background\u2063 check legislation.<\/p>\n<p>Chantay Love recounted\u200b the tragic\u2062 murder of her brother, Emir Greene, \u2062in 1997 when he \u2063was just 20\u2062 years old. She emphasized that his death had a\u200d profound impact \u200bon not only her immediate family, but also extended relatives, friends, neighbors, and \u200deven\u2063 the local community center. According to Ms. Love, the true number of people affected\u2064 by\u200b a \u200cmurder is likely much higher than \u200dthe reported 100, possibly\u2063 closer to 250. She stressed that the depth and breadth\u200c of the\u2062 loss have not been adequately \u2064documented.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n    <!--$--><\/p>\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/californias-gun-ban-allowed-to-continue-by-appeals-court-5518977?<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jacob-siegel-on-disinformation-the-hoax-of-the-century-part-1\/\" title=\"Jacob Siegel discusses disinformation and refers to it as the 'Hoax of the Century' in Part 1.\">ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories<\/a>&#8220;><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">California\u2019s Gun Ban Allowed to Continue by Appeals Court<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/29\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/californias-gun-ban-allowed-to-continue-by-appeals-court-5518977?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/biden-pushes-more-gun-restrictions-after-maine-mass-shooting-5517888?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Biden\u200c Pushes More Gun Restrictions After Maine Mass Shooting<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/26\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/biden-pushes-more-gun-restrictions-after-maine-mass-shooting-5517888?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!--\/$-->\n  <\/div>\n<p>Ms.\u200b Love, along with \u2062her mother and siblings, established the E.M.I.R Healing Center, an\u200d acronym for Every Murder is Real. This nonprofit organization\u2064 advocates for, \u2062educates, and supports individuals \u200din Philadelphia who\u2063 have been impacted by violent crimes.<\/p>\n<p>During the\u2063 hearing, held \u2062at the Roxborough YMCA in Philadelphia and hosted by state Sens. Katie Muth, Vincent Hughes, and Sharif Street,\u2062 Ms. Love passionately testified in favor of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-again-introduce-legislation-for-universal-background-checks-on-gun-purchases-say-they-have-opportunity-to-act\/\" title=\"Democrats Again Introduce Legislation For Universal Background Checks On Gun Purchases, Say They Have \u2018Opportunity to Act\u2019\">universal background check legislation<\/a>. Mr. Hughes expressed\u2062 determination, stating \u2062that if the effort is sustained \u200dand pressure is maintained, the legislation will \u200deventually pass in the \u200cstate \u200dSenate and be sent to\u2062 the governor for signing. He emphasized the \u2062importance of perseverance and not\u2063 giving up.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n    <!--$--><\/p>\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!--\/$-->\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">The\u2063 legality\u200c of the \u2063gun used in \u2064Mr.\u2064 Greene&#8217;s \u200bmurder and whether it would have been subject to \u2063a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-lawmakers-push-for-universal-gun-background-checks\/\" title=\"PA lawmakers advocate for universal gun background checks.\">universal background check\u200c remains unclear<\/a>. <\/p>\n<h2>Private Sales<\/h2>\n<p> Background checks are mandatory for\u2064 the\u200b purchase of certain firearms,\u2063 but not all.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>At the federal level, all firearms bought \u2062through\u200b licensed gun\u200b dealers require a background check, and this applies to\u200c handgun sales regardless of the seller. \u200bHowever, federal \u200blaw permits \u200bprivate individuals to sell rifles without a background check if they do not suspect the buyer.<\/p>\n<p>States have the\u2063 option\u200b to enact stricter laws, \u200cbut Pennsylvania \u2062has yet to take that step. Currently, there are \u2062two proposed laws in\u200d the Legislature: House Bill 714,\u200d sponsored by Rep. Perry S. Warren, \u2063which would mandate background checks for all firearms except \u2063transfers between family\u200b members, and Senate Bill 60, \u2063sponsored by Sens. Hughes and Steve Santarsiero, \u200bwhich serves the\u2064 same\u2062 purpose.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u2063 previous attempts to pass universal background \u2062check legislation \u2062have been unsuccessful.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\u201cWhy is \u2062it so difficult\u2062 for us \u2063to agree on something as simple as background\u2063 checks? It shouldn&#8217;t be this complicated,\u201d Ms. Love questioned. <\/p>\n<h2>Making a List<\/h2>\n<p> Michael\u200d Csencsits, deputy national director of state and local \u200baffairs for Gun Owners of\u2063 America (GOA), informed The Epoch Times that the federal \u2064government is currently pushing for universal background checks,\u200b often through policies implemented by the Bureau\u200d of Alcohol, Tobacco, and \u2062Firearms (ATF). However, GOA opposes such policies at\u2062 both the federal and state \u2064levels.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>According to Mr. Csencsits, the primary\u200b reason for their \u2062opposition\u2063 is that universal background checks would\u2063 lead to the creation \u2062of a federal\u2064 registry, which\u200c they vehemently oppose.<\/p>\n<p>The ATF already possesses a partial list of gun owners, and recent policy changes will expand that list. When a gun store or\u2064 company goes out of business,\u200d the ATF obtains their records,\u2063 including\u2062 all gun sales and background checks conducted.\u2062 This\u200d has allowed the ATF to compile\u200c a\u2062 registry of \u20641 billion records. Previously, gun\u200c stores were \u2063allowed to discard records\u2064 after 20 years, resulting in the ATF only having the last two decades of a store&#8217;s activity.\u2062 However, the\u200c retention rule has been\u2062 modified, \u200drequiring\u200b gun \u2063stores to retain\u200b all records indefinitely. Consequently, the\u200c ATF will now have records spanning\u200b the lifetime of\u2062 the store.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImplementing universal background checks on \u2064a federal or state level essentially means that every \u200csingle gun transfer will eventually be recorded in the \u200cATF&#8217;s registry. That&#8217;s\u200b the main \u2063reason why we \u200coppose\u200b it,\u201d Mr. \u2063Csencsits explained.<\/p>\n<p>GOA firmly opposes the creation of any list of gun owners. They argue\u2064 that\u2064 the Second Amendment does not \u200bimpose a requirement to be listed in order \u200cto own a firearm.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Csencsits emphasized \u200dthat Second Amendment \u200cadvocates do not\u2063 believe \u2063that additional\u200c firearm laws will\u2064 effectively \u200dprevent criminal shootings. He \u200dstated, \u201cIt&#8217;s always a\u2064 tragic situation. As Americans,\u2063 we mourn the\u200c losses resulting from these events. Unfortunately, criminals do not \u200babide by laws, and no amount of gun control will completely \u2064prevent\u2064 such incidents. \u200bEvery life is valuable, and we want to prevent\u2062 these\u200d crimes, but the majority of guns used \u2062in\u200c crimes are obtained illegally. Therefore, a universal background check will not\u200b deter those who bypass the \u200dbackground check process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He further \u200cnoted that most crimes \u200dinvolving firearms are \u200bcommitted using handguns, for \u2063which universal background checks \u2062are already mandatory.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What arguments do opponents of universal background checks \u200dcommonly \u200bmake<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064Maine-mass-shooting-5517888?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories&#8221;><\/p>\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<p>          <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n<p>            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/democrats-politicizing-childrens-lives-for-gun-control-5515709?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Democrats Politicizing Children&#8217;s Lives for Gun Control<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/22\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<p>          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/democrats-politicizing-childrens-lives-for-gun-control-5515709?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<p>          <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!--$--><\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;These\u2063\u2063 \u200chorrific incidents\u2062 are not\u200c isolated,&#8221; testified \u2063Lois Thomas, another witness at the hearing. Thomas lost\u200c \u200cher\u2063 son,\u2062 Jason,\u200c to\u200c \u200cgun\u200c\u2064 \u200cviolence\u200c \u2063in\u200d 2019.\u2064 She spoke\u2060 about the \u2063emotional pain,\u2064 trauma,\u2062 and\u2063\u200c grief she and her family \u200chave \u200cendured.\u200c She also\u2062 voiced\u2063\u2060 her support for universal background checks, arguing that \u200dthey would\u2062 potentially prevent individuals with dangerous intentions\u2062 from acquiring\u2064 firearms.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing, titled &#8220;Advocating for Universal Background Checks: Honoring the Lives Lost to Gun Violence,&#8221; aimed\u2063 to raise \u200bawareness of the devastating consequences of gun violence and \u2062promote stricter gun control measures. The\u2064 testimonies of individuals who have themselves\u200b experienced the profound \u200dloss caused by shootings served \u2063as a\u2062 powerful reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive background check legislation.<\/p>\n<p>Universal background checks \u2063are intended to close the loopholes\u200b that \u200bcurrently exist \u200din the gun purchasing process. While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/court-declares-laws-banning-handgun-sales-to-people-under-21-unconstitutional\/\" title=\"Court Declares Laws Banning Handgun Sales To People Under 21 Unconstitutional\">federally licensed firearms dealers<\/a> are required to conduct background checks, individuals who obtain guns through private \u200dsales, online platforms, \u200bor at gun shows are not subject\u2063 to the same requirements. This creates an avenue \u2062for potential criminals or individuals with a \u200chistory of \u2062violence to easily acquire firearms without undergoing proper scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>Advocates for universal background checks argue that these measures can help \u200cidentify individuals who\u2064 may pose a risk to \u200dpublic safety, such as \u200bthose with criminal records, \u200dhistories of domestic violence, \u200dor mental health issues. By \u2063ensuring\u2063 that \u2064all purchasers are subject to thorough\u200d background checks, the goal\u2063 is\u200d to prevent\u2063 guns from falling into the wrong hands and\u200b reduce the \u200dlikelihood of future tragedies.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of universal background checks often argue that these measures infringe\u2064 upon\u2064 Second Amendment rights and\u2064 impose unnecessary burdens on law-abiding citizens. They claim \u2062that law-abiding individuals should \u200cnot be subjected to additional scrutiny and\u2063 that existing laws are \u200bsufficient to address the issue of gun violence.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is important \u200bto acknowledge that universal background checks have widespread \u2064support among \u2062the American public. According to a poll conducted by\u200b the Pew \u200cResearch Center in \u20642019, around 90% of \u2063Americans, including a majority of both Republicans and \u2062Democrats, support universal background checks for all gun sales.<\/p>\n<p>The testimonies shared at the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Hearing further\u200d underscored the\u200c importance of universal background\u2063 checks.\u2064 The personal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Monday, emotional testimonies were given at a Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Hearing, highlighting the devastating impact of gun violence. Chantay Love shared the heart-wrenching story of her brother Emir Greene, who was tragically murdered at 20 years old in 1997. His loss continues to deeply affect her.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":2085371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2085370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2085370"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2085370\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2085371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2085370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2085370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2085370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}