Shippensburg University

Search
Search
News
Multimedia
Sports
Ship Life
Opinion
Subscribe
Entertainment
Send a Tip
Podcasts
Donate

Shippensburg University

°
Full Forecast

Thursday, July 3, 2025

The Slate

Subscribe

Print Edition

  • News
  • Opinion
  • Ship Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Multimedia
  • Send a Tip
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Ship Life
  • Multimedia
  • Podcasts
  • Special Issues
  • Send a Tip
  • Donate
Search

Subscribe

 

3/19/2018, 8:32pm

PA SAFE Caucus advocates for more gun safety laws

By Shannon Long
PA SAFE Caucus advocates for more gun safety laws
Jim Strine

The PA SAFE Caucus voices their frustrations and goals about gun safety reforms on Wednesday.

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print

The PA SAFE Caucus members discussed their legislative goals for gun safety reform during a news conference at the capitol building on Wednesday.

The meeting marked one month since the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and occurred on the day students across the nation walked out of their schools, advocating for stricter gun laws.

During the conference, lawmakers spoke about their frustrations with passing legislation and specific House bills they would like to see move from committee. 

PA SAFE co-chair Madeleine Dean said to listen to the students that are speaking out, because their wisdom and bravery is inspirational and that the time to say enough is enough is now.

“We can and must do something to combat this gun violence epidemic, not just to prevent mass shootings like in Parkland, but to combat the everyday violence that claims 33,000 lives a year in this country, and injures 80,000 others in the crossfire,” Dean said in a press release.

Special hearings about gun laws will be held on April 9–12, and members expressed their expectations for the hearings.

“We are pleased to see that the House Judiciary Committee will give members a chance to speak about important gun safety proposals,” PA SAFE co-chair Dan Frankel said. “But we also know that a hearing is not enough — we expect the chance to vet some of these bills on the House floor in the very near future.”

“Every gun murder is a tragedy and outrage, and every victim should matter. The upcoming hearings should be followed by votes on bills that can save lives. I’m a minister and I strongly believe that thoughts and prayers are not enough,” Pennsylvania Rep. Joana McClinton said.

State Rep. Steve McCarter spoke of house bill 2109, which will allow people to petition the court for a firearm restraining order.

“Family and close friends are often the first to notice early warnings signs of crisis in those they love,” McCarter said. “They are also often first in the line of fire. We have to give them a mechanism through which they can petition the court for a firearm restraining order and the protection that restraining order would provide — not only for them but for their loved one as well.”

Jami Amo, a survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, was also in attendance.

“There are tens and thousands of students who, like myself, have lived the terror of a shooting in their schools, and many more face it in their streets,” Amo said. “We have had enough.”

PA SAFE Caucus will be calling for legislation during the hearings that include: banning bump stocks; requiring background checks for all firearm purchases; requiring Pennsylvania to transfer existing mental health records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System or NICS; banning large-capacity ammunition magazines; providing more funding for safe school initiatives; prohibiting people on the no-fly list from purchasing or possessing firearms; allowing concerned family members and law enforcement to file extreme-risk protective orders; requiring schools to timely notify parents when their children are involved in safety incidents at school; increasing training and education for school security officers; allowing people with mental or physical health concerns to voluntarily surrender their firearms and prohibiting a person who has been ordered to undergo involuntary mental health treatment from possessing a firearm, according to the press release.

Share



Related Stories

MSAQuilt_Jefferson.jpg

SU MSA director Diane Jefferson passes away at 72

By Evan Dillow

Shippensburg University student faces charges following assault in SU dorm

By Evan Dillow

DOGE spending cuts target AmeriCorps, impacting student volunteers and communities across the U.S.

By Evan Dillow


The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.


Most Popular


6/5/2025, 7:19pm

Shippensburg University student faces charges following assault in SU dorm

By Evan Dillow

6/27/2025, 2:32pm

SU MSA director Diane Jefferson passes away at 72


6/3/2025, 8:26am

The 2025 PSAC Championships leave the SU Women’s Track & Field team in fifth place



  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Work For Us
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Ship Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2025 The Slate

Powered by Solutions by The State News.