Chambered Round, who is in a position to know, notes that the vote has been pushed off another week:
This is starting to look more and more like a diversion tactic to keep focus off of HB40 (Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground) in the hopes that bill will, once again, die in committee.
Pennsylvanians, aside from fighting back HB2536, make sure to keep up the pressure on HB40! Contact the members of the House Appropriations Committee, especially the office of Chairman Dwight Evans, and ask them “Where’s the vote on HB40?”
The strategy would seem to be to wear us out and spread us thin in the hopes of running out the clock for HB40, the Castle Doctrine bill.
UPDATE: From Lentz himself:
We are going to hold the bill for a week to see if we can come up with a solution that allows us to keep the permit process local and still prevent known drug dealers from relying on a loophole to get an out of state permit as a get out of jail free card but not interfere in any way with law abiding citizens rights.
More later.
FYI, the email I received from Rep. Lentz’s office was a letter that was sent out to many who had contacted his office over their concerns with HB2536. There were other PAFOA members who had indicated they received this letter as well.
I’m pretty far from being “in the know” :D
Aren’t “known drug dealers” … felons? And thus ineligible?
Or does “known” mean “suspected by a cop”, rather than “convicted”?
Though not specific to HB2536 or the Castle Doctrine, I thought that two news stories reflect the degradation of gun-friendly (traditionally American) culture in the City of Philadelphia, and perhaps PA as a whole: 1) A non-profit group of retired admirals and generals issued a report that found up to 90% of Philly youth aged 18-24 were unfit for military service, and 2) the City is suing the Boy Scouts over its policy that excludes homosexuals from membership.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100615_Philadelphia_s_young_lag_in_military_readiness__study_finds.html#axzz0qysGUDuc
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_region/20100614_Trial_over_local_Boy_Scout_headquarters_begins.html?c=0.14245574215956047&posted=y&viewAll=y#comments
If the City were really interested in nurturing its youth, I can’t believe the first report would have been issued, and I would be shocked to find that a culture imbued with martial vigor would sue the Boy Scouts.
The City is more interested in jamming the Scouts with a leftist agenda than in raising boys to men (pardon the expression). That same “feminist” leftist agenda has left our kids unfit to protect themselves, their community, or their country. It’s the same anti-American agenda that broke Dr. Barnes last will and testament and stole the Barnes Foundation from Merion.
I’d like to see the BSA join forces with the Friends of the Barnes and clean the City’s clock! Philly gets a 4F.