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Protecting the Second Amendment
To prevent local governments from enacting their own laws seeking to diminish the Second Amendment, the House gave its approval to House Bill 671 last week.
Although Commonwealth law already stipulates that local governments cannot pass their own firearms laws, some communities have done so anyway. As a result, citizens with no criminal intent are placed in danger of breaking rules they don’t know exist.
House Bill 671 would deter local jurisdictions from imposing illegal ordinances by requiring them to reimburse reasonable attorneys fees and costs to bring a lawsuit challenging the illegal ordinance.
The measure, which was originally enacted in 2014, directly responds to a state court decision which ruled the law unconstitutional. That ruling was based on technical grounds, and the substance of the legislation was never called into question.
Additionally, the annual Second Amendment Rally will be held Monday, May 22, at 10 a.m. in the Main Rotunda of the State Capitol.
Motorsports at the Capitol
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Chip Ganassi, of Chip Ganassi Racing, recently visited the Capitol to talk about the economic benefits of racing. Thanks for coming!
Celebrating Pennsylvania’s Small Businesses
More than 99 percent of businesses in Pennsylvania are small businesses, and April 30-May 6 has been designated Pennsylvania Small Business Week to celebrate these entrepreneurs and their impact on our economy.
In recognizing the valuable role these businesses play in our Commonwealth, the House continuously works to enact pro-small business policies, including tax fairness and regulatory reforms.
Pennsylvania’s more than 1 million small businesses employ 2.5 million workers, with small businesses, having created nearly 24,000 new jobs in the second half of 2015.
For more information, click here. https://pasmallbizweek.newpa.com/
Thanks for Attending our Montrose Office Open House
Thanks to everyone who attended our Montrose district office Open House last week. We had quite a crowd!
Protecting Our Children
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Legislation to further protect Pennsylvania’s children passed the House recently. The measures are designed to toughen the criminal sentences for those who put children in harm’s way.
House Bill 217 would increase the grading of offenses related to endangering the welfare of children to reflect the degree of risk and the age of the child victim. This would better ensure that parents, guardians or those charged with the care of a child would face harsher penalties in cases of child endangerment if the child was under the age of 6, if the endangerment resulted in serious injury or death, or if the endangerment was part of a continuing course of conduct.
Likewise, House Bill 489 toughens the sentences in cases of indecent exposure where children under the age of 16 are present. The measure provide for ranges of sentences applicable based upon aggravating circumstances such as the number and ages of people present and the nature and character of the incident.
Both proposals are now with the Senate for review.
Go Fishing with the Family!
To help share the love of fishing with families, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) has scheduled several opportunities in May and June for families to learn fishing skills.
The six events – three in May and three in June – will lead up to the two statewide Fish-for-Free Days – the Sunday before Memorial Day, May 28, and Independence Day, July 4. Each of the state’s six regions will host an event. For the list, click here. https://fbweb.pa.gov/Calendar/All_Gridview.aspx?TN=family_fishing&DAY=ALL
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The program is open to all ages, including children ages 5 and older, and the PFBC provides equipment, bait and tackle. PFBC staff will be present to teach skills and assist those who fish.
Preregistration is required. Space is limited, and there will be no registrations accepted the day of the events.
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