Pennsylvania members pay attention

A

alan

New member
Pennsylvania, as you no doubt know, has it's own insta-check system for doing background checks on firearms purchases. Currently, the dealer is charged $2.00/check, the purchaser pays a $3.00 fee, bringing the total payment to $5.00/check.

According to comment on radio newscasts heard this week, a legislative committee is "looking into" the possibility of increasing fees, due to the claims that "the state is putting to much money into the system". I have heard mention of "at least a $12.00 fee" mentioned.

It is claimed that there is a significant PUBLIC BENEFIT derived from the existance and operation of this system, a claim that might even be true. Allowing this to be the case, and given the fact that dealers and firearms purchasers are already making payments toward the costs of these checks, since there is "a public benefit" derived from the operation of the system, "the public" aught to make it's contribution too, that being in the form of footing it's part of the bill for operation of the system.
Let your "elected things" know that you OPPOSE increasing the fee, assuming that such is the case.

Also heard that a suit has been filed against both Governor Ridge, and the State Police over that bodies "maintaining a registry of firearms purchases", such action being proscribed by EXISTING STATE LAW. The state police claim that what they are doing does not constitute a registry, their spokesman actually said that they were merely "keeping a list". Hystertical laughter is heard in the background, or in internet phraseology, ROFLMAO. Did I get that right?
 
Alan,

Do you have any more information on the lawsuit such as who is filing it and who is supporting it? I would love to get behind that.
 
response to Mikul

Mikul:

Re your question, note the following: From what I've heard on WDUQ FM, Public radio, yesterday and today, the Allegheny County Sportsmens League, a group from the Lehigh Valley area, and several individual complaintants are involved in this action. The Alleg Cty. web site is as follows:

www.nauticom.net/www/acsl

Hope this helps. Also, you just might be able to get some information from NRA, though on this, one wonders.

As I mentioned, a state fuzz spokesperson claims that what they are doing is not "registration", don't even mention the dastardly "R" word. What they are doing is merely "keeping a list", similar one supposes to what Santa does. Will they, like Santa, come down the chimney, bearing gifts on christmas eve, that is another question entirely.
 
A collection of private information about gun owners is a registry. Calling it by another name is a childish game they are playing with the law, and we will not tolerate it.

Our hope is that there is a high enough court that is not already caught in this pathetic game.
 
suit against PA State Police, and Governor ridge

Re the above noted, it seems that State Police Commissioner Paul Evanko wrote the following, at least according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"For the [state police] to destroy this 67-year-old file ... would not only make crime solving in the commonwealth more difficult, but would also jeopardize the lives and safety of citizens and police officers," Evanko wrote.

Re Mr. Evanko's offering, to the effect that doing away with the at least questionable, if not illegal "67 year old file" would jeapordize the lives of citizens and police officers, anyone want to bet on when, if ever Evanko will explain that flight of linguistic fancy, perhaps telling us all exactly how this undesdirable set of circumstances might come to pass.

As the thing looks now, it does appear as if we here and now see a kid who just got caught with his hand "in the coookie jar", up to his shoulder, squirming around seeking some way out of an akward situation. There does not seem to be such a way though.
 
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