House takes up gun control legislation

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(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives had narrow final passages and rare failures on a package of gun control bills it considered Tuesday.

Votes were almost entirely down party lines, a strong indicator that legislation that made it through will be challenged to succeed in the Republican majority Senate.

House Bill 1593, with the most support, calls for background checks on all firearm sales.

“If you know history, dictators never started with just confiscating and disarming populations,” said Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-Lock Haven. “They were told to quote ‘just register their guns.' Then they were confiscated, which led to complete loss of freedom and life by the millions at the hands of tyrannical governments.”

The representative said the registry was an intentional attempt by Democrats to disarm the American people as part of a plan to build a tyrannical government.

“We do not have a gun problem but a sin problem in America,” said Borowicz. “Instead of stripping rights away, we must return to the word of God on our own accord and be self-governed by the word of God.”

In another floor speech, Borowicz suggested that the country would be better served by bringing Christian education into public schools.

Opponents of Borowicz’s viewpoint say that rhetoric like this is representative of Christian nationalism, a far-right movement to create a theocratic state which asserts the United States is a Christian nation.

The bill passed 104-99.

Bills calling for extreme risk protection orders, or ERPOs, and banning ghost guns each failed 102-101. In both cases, the deciding vote was Rep. Frank Burns, D-Johnstown.

Extreme risk protection orders are also known as red flag laws. They serve to temporarily remove firearms from people who may be in immediate danger of harming themselves or others. The measure aims to reduce suicide deaths and other acts of violence committed when community members recognize a person is in acute crisis. They are issued by judges and exist in 21 states with leadership mixed Democrats and Republicans.

Ghost guns are created through 3D printing and are untraceable. Those who advocate for banning them cite developments in plastic technology which minimizes the need for metal components in a firearm.

“Right now given the gun violence incidents occurring across Pennsylvania, it is vitally important to ensure these firearms are detectable by metal detectors used at schools, airports and government buildings to ensure the safety of our children, our coworkers and our fellow citizens,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Philadelphia.

Another bill banning equipment to convert guns into machine guns with “switch” devices received second consideration and now awaits final passage.