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October 25, 2014 10:30 am - NewsBehavingBadly.com

The National Rifle Association has been gifted via a controversial bill passed by the Pennsylvania House which grants the gun group rights to sue over local gun laws. This isn’t sitting well with cities in that state who are trying to keep smaller townships safe.

[su_center_ad]Philly.com reports:

The implicit threat of the legislation, which Gov. Corbett has indicated he will sign, is: Repeal your gun ordinances or risk costly lawsuits.

Word of the bill’s approval in the final hour of the legislative session drew strong reaction from all corners of the southeastern part of the state.

Law enforcement and government officials implored Corbett to veto the bill, saying the proposal was bad legislation that would open the floodgates to lawsuits that threaten self-rule, and could bankrupt smaller townships and boroughs.

“Cities across this commonwealth enact gun regulations in an effort to save lives, period,” said Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke. “To meet such efforts with the threat of costly and frivolous litigation by special interests is heartless at best.”

Philadelphia is one of roughly 30 municipalities that have enacted local gun laws – most involving mandatory reporting of lost and stolen guns – in the six years since an effort to pass statewide gun control laws failed.

The legislation, amended to a bill involving the theft of metal, would broaden the definition of “standing” to include “membership organizations” such as the NRA.

Think Progress reports:

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, a major casualty of the new bill is likely to be several local ordinances “involving mandatory reporting of lost and stolen guns.” The Inquirer also quotes Montgomery County Solicitor Sean Kilkenny, who says he recommends that three localities within that county repeal their lost or stolen gun ordinance — “[i]f a town like Jenkintown gets sued, a couple hundred thousand dollars would blow a huge hole in their budget.”

This comes a day after another school shooting and gives the NRA more power to discount local laws set up to provide safety to their city’s residents. [su_csky_ad]

D.B. Hirsch
D.B. Hirsch is a political activist, news junkie, and retired ad copy writer and spin doctor. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

18 responses to Pennsylvania Lawmakers Give NRA More Power In Controversial Bill

  1. Larry Schmitt October 25th, 2014 at 10:41 am

    And since the NRA has much deeper pockets than the towns do, the towns might just surrender instead of busting their budgets in a lost cause. How is turning the state government over to the NRA a good idea?

    • bhil October 25th, 2014 at 3:19 pm

      The Koch’s and the NRA could divide up the country.

  2. Budda October 25th, 2014 at 11:10 am

    Maybe Philadelphia could just lead the way with a counter suit and specifically name La Pierre.

    • Larry Schmitt October 25th, 2014 at 12:00 pm

      I wonder if Keith Olberman has ever named La Pierre “the worst person…in the world!” He could retire the trophy.

  3. Obewon October 25th, 2014 at 11:27 am

    PA Gov Corbett has indicated he will sign NRA takeover despite Law enforcement and government officials imploring Corbett to veto the bill! NRA may not have legal standing.
    (D-PA) Tom Wolf 53.5% Vs (R-PA) Tom Corbett 37.6%.
    CONFIDENCE OF WIN The probability that (D-PA) Wolf will beat guber Corbett is 99% http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2014-pennsylvania-governor-corbett-vs-wolf

  4. arc99 October 25th, 2014 at 11:35 am

    When will the people who vote for Republicans open their f*ckin eyes? How can they not see the inherent fascism?

    Regardless of your beliefs on gun control, how in the world does it benefit anyone if a private organization with virtually unlimited funds, uses the courts to bankrupt a town?

    How does a law which requires mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms infringe on ownership?

    I say to all you gun fetishists who think this is a good idea, it is just one more reason for us Democrats to get busy for 2016 so that we have a Democratic House, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic President.

    Then the door will be open to pass product liability legislation against firearms manufacturers who fund the NRA. If going to court is such a wonderful idea, then the families of every victim of a gunshot can sue the maker of the gun out of business. If this is the way right wingers want to debate the issue of gun control, fine.

    Bring it on ammosexuals. You are a minority. There are more people in this country concerned about dead school kids than there are people who care about the personal inadequacies which compel you to stroll around Walmart and Target with a phallic symbol strapped to your back.

    • Larry Schmitt October 25th, 2014 at 11:41 am

      Remember what Joe not the plumber said to the parents of the murder victim: Your dead child does not trump my right to as many guns as I don’t need. (slightly paraphrased for effect) It seems that’s how most of the gun fondlers feel. And when I use that term, I’m not including any responsible gun owners out there.

    • Red Eye Robot October 25th, 2014 at 1:43 pm

      Duh! you had a Democrat President, House & Senate and they didn’t pass product liability legislation against the gun industry. Why do you think that is? Now on the other hand, when Bush had a Republican House & Senate they passed the ” Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act” A law that prevents gun manufacturers and dealers from being sued when someone misuses their product. 9 years later it’s still the law. It passed the senate with 65 votes. (15 democrats voted for it including Mary Landrieu, Harry Reid), Your pipe dreams about the american people who favor gun rights being the minority aren’t reflected in reality. 38 states have passed “Shall issue or Show cause” Concealed permit laws meaning if govt. can’t show a reason then they must issue a permit. 5 states require no permit what so ever to carry concealed. Fascists will always fantasize about what they will do when they get power. But we’re not going to let you have your way

      • Mike Butkus Jr. October 25th, 2014 at 2:56 pm

        CountryGuns per 100Total Firearm-related Deaths per 100,000United States88.810.2Switzerland45.73.84Finland45.33.64Sweden31.61.47Norway31.31.78France31.23Canada30.82.44Austria30.42.94Iceland30.31.25Germany30.31.1New Zealand22.62.66Greece22.51.5Belgium17.22.43Luxembourg15.31.81Australia151.04South Africa12.79.41Turkey12.50.72Denmark121.45Malta11.92.16Italy11.91.28Spain10.40.63Ireland8.61.03Portugal8.51.77Israel7.31.86United Kingdom6.20.25Netherlands3.90.46Japan0.60.06

        ____________________________
        “But we’re not going to let you have your way” Your way is going so well you should be proud.

      • tiredoftea October 25th, 2014 at 3:51 pm

        The fact that the NRA and ALEC are fanatically single issue and have been much better at influencing state legislatures is why those laws have been passed. None of those changes were driven by citizens.

      • arc99 October 25th, 2014 at 5:15 pm

        let me clarify your misconceptions. I am a gun owner. I believe in gun rights.

        and there is no such thing as a “Democrat President”

        the proper use of the word when used as an adjective is Democratic.

        and since you are the only fascist in this discussion, it is heartening to know that ultimately you will not get your way. I think even you realize that as your reply has nothing to do with the point of my original post which addresses the concept of bankrupting small towns, or how a law requiring the reporting of lost or stolen firearms infringes on the second amendment.

        yeah, I would change the subject too

  5. crc3 October 25th, 2014 at 12:29 pm

    The NRA is nothing but a group of Nazi terrorists hell bent on turning America into a full blown shooting gallery. Maybe the Second Amendment needs to be removed totally from the Constitution??….

    • tiredoftea October 25th, 2014 at 3:44 pm

      Too late, it already, functionally, is! Another loss by inaction from the left, BTW.

  6. eyelashviper October 25th, 2014 at 12:31 pm

    Murika, land of the ammosexuals, ignorance-is-bliss and knowledge is communism, xtian autocrats and corporateers who relish in sucking the life blood out of people, the environment, and entire nations….
    WTF is wrong with people, this insanity must stop, the NRA cannot continue to rule our lives and create the carnage that is now ubiquitous.

    • crc3 October 25th, 2014 at 12:53 pm

      What’s wrong with people? The leaders of our society are rotten to the core. They are driven by money and greed and they make the rules. Banks…corporations…NRA etc are holding this country hostage. That’s why things are the way they are and it will never change until the working middle and lower class (the 99%) take charge of the situation. Voting may not be the solution either. If this means revolution then so be it…

  7. Larry Schmitt October 25th, 2014 at 12:39 pm

    And there’s always this 1994 Phil Gramm quote: “I own more shotguns than I need, but not as many as I want.”

  8. Ol Blue October 25th, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    I am convinced that Wayne LaPierre and the NRA directors are happy whenever a gun is used, including the murder of innocent school children. These shootings generate more fear, leading to more gun and ammo sales which line the pockets of the NRA and its corporate supporters, the gun and ammunition manufacturers.

  9. tiredoftea October 25th, 2014 at 3:54 pm

    We are witnessing the end of our democracy. Single issue fanatics own our state legislatures and have a pretty firm grip on our federal government. Mussolini made the trains run on time in Italy, we won’t even get that.