House committee supports one, but rejects two other key gun control bills.
HARRISBURG - Despite an impassioned personal plea by Gov. Rendell to do more, a state House panel this morning endorsed one bill aimed at curbing gun violence but rejected two others and tabled action on a fourth.
In a 27-2 vote, Judiciary Committee members approved a bill sponsored by Speaker Dennis O'Brien (R., Phila.) to create a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 year for anyone who fires a weapon at a police officer.
Also by wide margins, the committee rejected bills that would limit the number of handguns a person can buy to one a month and allow cities to enact their own gun laws. Members tabled action on a bill, which would require gun owners to report lost and stolen weapons.
The votes came moments after Rendell urged committee members to grow a "backbone" and send the entire package to the full House for a vote.
"Those who argue that violence is a Philadelphia problem caused by judges, police and prosecutors who do not enforce the laws on the books are dead wrong," Rendell told the committee.
"It's time for us to stand up and say enough," the governor added, pounding his first on the table.
Rendell said he took the unusual step of personally appearing before a legislative panel because of a rising homicide rate in Philadelphia, where six police officers were shot in as many weeks, one fatally.
At one point during his testimony, Rendell's voice cracked with emotion when he recalled as Philadelphia's mayor meeting with what he called "newly minted" widows of slain police officers.
"First, I'm asking you today to begin by protecting our police in Philadelphia and every hamlet, town and borough in this Commonwealth," Rendell said. ". . .If we don't act now, today, we will have more illegal handguns, more shootings and more police widows."
As the Democratic governor spoke, it was standing room only in the House Majority Caucus Room where the committee met. About a dozen uniformed police officers from Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading, and Lancaster sat in the front row facing lawmakers.
Gun-control supporters wore stickers: "Strong gun laws protect our cops."
Efforts to enact tighter controls on guns have routinely died in Pennsylvania, a state with more than 1 million hunters.
At the outset of his 40-minutes before the panel, Rendell stressed that he was not attempting to attack law-abiding gun owners.
"I don't come here to demonize anybody. I believe we have a strong and proud gun heritage in Pennsylvania. I believe hunting is a way of life for so many of our citizens," Rendell said. "If we seek to demonize anybody here...it is to demonize criminals who use our police for target practice, it's to demonize criminals who sell guns to felons and juveniles."
The measure to impose a mandatory two-decade term for anyone who knowingly fires a weapon at an officer now goes to the full House for a vote.
Rep. Kathy Manderino (D., Phila.), a judiciary committee member who typically sides against such sentencing guidelines, said she was willing to allow the entire House decide the fate of the bill, which also would require Senate approval.
Yet, she chastised the legislature for not acting sooner on a similar measure.
"We are always happy to do something after somebody is dead," she said, referring to Philadelphia Police Officer Chuck Cassidy, who was killed late last month.
By Mario F. Cattabiani
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
