More than a dozen Pa. bills focusing on guns are up for vote WGAL News 8 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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MATT: VOTES HAVEN'T HAPPENED YET BUT THERE'S ALREADY BACK AND FORTH GOING ON HERE AT THE CAPITOL. THE HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE IN CONTROL OF THAT CHAMBER, THEY WANT TO MOVE AHEAD WITH SOME OF THESE VOTES BUT THE DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE THINK THAT THIS IS ALL HAPPENING TOO FAST, BEING RUSHED THROUGH, AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT REFORMS THAT THEY BELIEVE CAN BE MADE ARE NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN THIS SLATE OF BILLS. SO THERE ARE 14 BILLS THAT MIGHT BE VOTED ON AS EARLY AS TODAY. ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE VOLUNTARY SURRENDER OF WEAPONS AND ANOTHER ABOUT GIVING UP GUNS AFTER A STAY AT AN INVOLUNTARY MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY. SOME OF THE OTHERS DEAL WITH SENTENCING FOR VIOLENT CRIMES AND SOME ARE PURELY CEREMONIAL LIKE THE DESIGNATION OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MONTH. DEMOCRATS SAY THAT THESE DON'T GO TO THE ACTUAL HEART OF THE ISSUE. THEY DON'T INCLUDE EXPANDING BACKGROUND CHECKS OR OTHER MEASURES THAT THEY BELIEVE WOULD HELP THE SITUATION. AND GOVERNOR WOLF HAS WEIGHED IN SAYING HE IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE BILLS THAT ARE LEFT OUT OF THIS SLATE. HE SAYS IN PART WE MUST MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGES THAT WE KNOW WILL SAVE LIVES IN THE FUTURE. WE OWE EVERY VICTIM OF GUN VIOLENCE MORE, AND WE CAN DO BETTER. THE VOTES THAT ARE SCHEDULED TODAY ARE IN THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. AND IF THEY ADVANCE FROM THERE, THEN AT SOME POI

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