Local leaders, gun shop owner react to bipartisan gun control deal

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A deal with bipartisan support that could lead to the biggest change to gun laws in decades is on the table, and so is reaction to this proposal.

At the heart of this bipartisan deal would provide resources for every state to implement “red flag” laws, which allow police and family members to petition courts to keep guns away from people deemed a risk to themselves or others. Nineteen states currently have red flag laws, but Pennsylvania is not one of them.

The plan also increases mental health resources and calls for improving school safety. The proposal also creates a more rigorous set of steps for background checks on people between the ages of 18 to 21.

Chip Hamilton, operations manager of the National Armory, said when it comes to the tragedies that have taken place recently, “I believe we’re focusing way too much on the actual physical gun and not enough on mental health issues. In many of these situations, background checks were done, but police intervention is kind of where the failure took place.”

Just as the lawmakers who say these new measures will save lives, Hamilton says he’s all for that, but maybe more legislation isn’t the problem.

“What we need to do is enforce all the laws we already have, when people are caught in many of these situations, and other cities, they are sometimes four or five, or even six-time offenders who should never be on the street,” Hamilton said.

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who applauded this new proposal,he says this is just the beginning. He tweeted,

“I’m encouraged by the emerging bipartisan deal on gun legislation. While we need to do more to close loopholes and keep weapons of war off our streets, this deal is an important first step.”

While there’s no timetable on when this bill could reach the president’s desk, one senator says he hopes it will be sometime in July.

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