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Pa. Lawmakers Consider Stricter Gun Laws

POSTED: 5:16 pm EDT March 28, 2007
UPDATED: 6:45 pm EDT March 28, 2007

There's talk of big changes to the gun laws in Pennsylvania. If the measures go through, it would mean more responsibility for those who buy guns.

Pittsburgh police report almost 90 percent of guns recovered during crimes in the city are stolen, and many of those are not reported stolen until after a crime has been committed.

The new bill would punish gun owners who fail to report a gun lost or stolen, meaning a fine if the failure to report was unintentional , or even criminal charges if gun owners lose a gun and purposefully fail to tell police.

"We're not trying to take away guns from hunters or from people who have a gun in their home to protect themselves," said Rep. Dan Frankel. "We want to take reasonable measures to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in this country and in the state of Pennsylvania."

One of the things the new legislation proposes is a change that would put more responsibility on the gun owners.

A high school student accused of gunning down another student outside Carrick High School used an AK47, a gun that would be outlawed by the bill.

In Homestead, a stolen gun fired by a convicted criminal killed 14-month-old Ryan Hacke.

"So they did ballistic testing, and it was the gun that was used to murder my baby," said Hacke's mother, Mary Beth. "And ironically, it was used in two other homicides, so for six years, it was on the street."

That gun was legally purchased by one person and then sold or traded to an illegal owner.

Other measures in the bill include limiting gun buyers to purchasing just one handgun a month.

It would also require trigger locks or locked boxes for guns in homes where there are children.

Critics said those limitations are unconstitutional.

"If the firearms are taken away from law abiding citizens, the only ones who will have the guns are criminals who will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals, which is to take away from you," said Allegheny County sportsman Dan Ragaller.

Frankel said there is widespread support for the measures but he predicted getting them passed in the Legislature would be a fight.

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