Pennsylvania State Senator Larry Farnese Announces Introduction of Gun Legislation Aimed at Stopping Epidemic of Gun Violence
Bills address gun possession, purchases and penalties

April 14, 2009 - At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Senator Larry Farnese announced the details of a trio of bills he has introduced, which he says will stem the tide of gun violence on the streets of Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham, Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross, bills cosponsor Senator LeAnna Washington and gun legislation supporter, State Representative Kenyatta Johnson also attended the news conference, where Sen. Farnese described Senate Bills 415 and 416. He, the district attorney, and her office’s Gun Violence Task Force collaborated on the bills.

Senate Bill 415 prohibits anyone who is charged, but not yet convicted of a felony, from purchasing, transferring, selling, or possessing any firearm.

Senate Bill 416 addresses the disparate way adults who committed certain felonies as juveniles are treated - compared to adults who commit similar crimes during adulthood. Currently, these adults cannot purchase or own a gun, while the adult who committed his or her felony when s/he was a juvenile can.

This bill prohibits any adult who committed a felony drug offense as a juvenile from buying or owning a gun.

“I thank the district attorney and the Gun Violence Task Force for their assistance crafting these bills. We’re all on the same page, in that we want to reduce the number of illegal guns on the street, and more heavily penalize those who would dare use a gun to commit a crime,” said Sen. Farnese.

The senator also announced the reintroduction of Senate Bill 412, originally introduced during the 2007 – 2008 Senate session. This legislation requires anyone convicted of carrying a gun without a license to serve a mandatory minimum one year sentence.

Senator Farnese is available for interviews.

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