Terri Hamrick, MNM
Executive Director
Survivors, Inc.
Post Office Box 3572
Gettysburg, PA  17325
(717) 334-0589 Extension 22
Facsimile (717) 334-3576
EMail:  Terri@...
 
Mission Statement
Survivors supports those who experience domestic violence or sexual assault
and strives to create a world in which violence against women and children
is unthinkable.
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Nicole A. Lindemyer [mailto:nal@...]
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 6:29 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: CALLS TO SENATORS NEEDED ON EMERGENCY CONCEALED CARRY LICENSES
Importance: High



URGENT ACTION ALERT -- PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY
June 11, 2008

This is indeed an URGENT Action Alert. We have a very limited timeframe in
which to act, so time is of the essence. A call to your senator will take
only minutes, yet collectively, our calls can make a world of difference in
the outcome of this bill--and in the lives of domestic violence victims.


On Tuesday, June 10, the PA Senate Judiciary Committee rejected an amendment
to House Bill 1845 that would have omitted the dangerous "Emergency
Concealed Carry Licenses" provision. House Bill 1845 will now be voted on
by the full PA Senate. Immediate statewide grassroots action is needed to
urge
Senators to remove the Emergency Concealed Carry License provision from HB
1845!!!

Background
The portion of House Bill 1845 that the Pennsylvania Coalition Against
Domestic Violence (PCADV) opposes is Section 6109 (M.1), entitled "Temporary
Emergency Licenses." This section was added to HB 1845 as an amendment
offered by Representative Metcalfe (he has repeatedly introduced this
proposal
as a stand-alone bill, currently HB 1160).

This provision would amend the PA Uniform Firearms Act to create a new
Emergency License to carry a concealed firearm. These Emergency Concealed
Carry Licenses must be granted "immediately" when applied for, with
"evidence of imminent danger." Such "evidence of imminent danger" is
specifically
defined to include Protection From Abuse orders. The purpose is to
encourage domestic violence victims to arm themselves with guns to be used
against their abusive partners.

Rep. Metcalfe's amendment passed in the House and is now included in the
bill as Section 6109 (M.1). The bill passed in the House, then went to the
Senate, where it was considered by the Judiciary Committee on June 10. An
amendment was offered to remove the Emergency Concealed Carry License
provision, but the amendment failed by a vote of 9 to 4. The bill will soon
be voted on by the full Senate. It is expected that another amendment will
be offered to remove the Emergency Concealed Carry License provision.
SENATORS NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT WHY THIS PROVISION IS SO DANGEROUS AND
WHY THEY SHOULD SUPPORT AN AMENDMENT TO REMOVE IT FROM THE BILL.

ACTION NEEDED -- IMMEDIATE PHONE CALLS!

Please pick up the phone and call your state senator right away! The PA
Senate is off now, then back in session Monday through Wednesday next week.
Calls should go to your Senator's DISTRICT Office from now until Monday,
June 16. If calling Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday (June 16-18), then call
the HARRISBURG Office. Find your Senator's contact info here [[
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/email_list
.cfm?body=S ]PA Senators -
www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/email_list.cfm?bo
dy=S] and clicking on his or her name.

Tell the Senator:
- "I am a constituent living in [YOUR CITY] in your district. I am calling
concerning House Bill 1845, which has a provision that would create new
Emergency Licenses to carry concealed firearms if the applicant has a
Protection From Abuse Order or some other evidence of imminent danger. This
provision is designed to encourage domestic violence victims to carry guns
and use them to protect themselves from their abusers."

- "First, this provision would place victims of domestic violence in greater
danger. Having a gun does NOT increase the chance than a victim can protect
herself from her batterer; rather, it increases the chance that she will be
injured or killed." (See Talking Points below for statistics
demonstrating this point. Cite these statistics if time allows.)

- "Next, this provision also would encourage misuse of the PFA system. The
PFA system was designed to protect the safety of victims and prevent future
harm. Likewise, Sheriffs are required to conduct investigations into each
application they receive so that licenses are not granted to those who
are prohibited from having one or who pose a threat to public safety.
However, if having a PFA was a means to cut ahead in the line for getting a
concealed carry license, then it would encourage people to apply for
unecessary PFAs as a shortcut through the license investigation. The
inevitable
increase of false claims would cause judges to look skeptically on PFA
petitions, reducing the credibility and protections offered by the PFA Act."

- "While proponents of this provision claim it would help victims protect
themselves against domestic violence perpetrators, in fact it will have the
opposite effect--further endangering victims' lives and the lives of
everyone around them who may be caught in the crossfire. That is why
several
crime victims' and law enforcement groups, including the District Attorneys
Association, oppose this provision."

- "When HB 1845 moves to the Senate floor for a vote, I urge you to support
an amendment to omit this provision. The safety of Pennsylvania's families
and communities depend on it."

- "Thank you so much for your attention and for your help protecting
domestic violence victims."


IF the conversation allows, you may wish to mention any or all of the
following additional Talking Points:

Studies show that:
- Domestic violence assaults involving a gun were 12 times more
likely to result in death than assaults not involving a gun.
- Access to firearms increases the risk that domestic violence
victims will be killed by their intimate partners nearly five times more
than in instances where there are no weapons.
- A gun in the home is 43 times more likely to be used against the
owner
or a family member than to shoot an intruder.

- Gun owners with the best intentions underestimate how hard it is to use a
gun for self-defense. Even highly-trained police officers lose control of
their handguns. According to the FBI, five out of 41 law enforcement
officers (12 percent) killed by gunfire in the line of duty in 1999 were
killed
by an adversary with the officer's own service weapon. These are skilled
gun owners who use firearms as part of their profession. Imagine the death
rate for victims who immediately receive access to a firearm without the
intensive training and experience police officers have.

- A gun in the home increases the likelihood of an unintentional shooting,
particularly among children. More children, teenagers, and adult family
members are dying from firearms in their own home than criminal intruders.
Unintentional shootings commonly occur when children find an adult's loaded
handgun in a drawer or closet and, while playing with it, shoot themselves,
a sibling, or a friend. It is a tragic reality that the firearm death rate
among U.S. children 14 years of age and younger is nearly 12 times higher
than the combined rate in 25 other industrialized nations. One study
found that among adolescents ages 19 and younger, three-quarters (72%) of
guns involved in unintentional injuries or deaths were stored in the home of
the victim, a relative, or a friend; in almost one of five (19%) of these
injuries or deaths, it was the child's parent who owned the gun used.

The above points and more (including citations) are included in PCADV's [
http://pubs.pcadv.net/public_policy/HB1160_Position_Paper_FINAL.pdf ]Policy
Position Paper on HB 1160 (HB 1160 is Rep. Metcalfe's stand-alone bill; the
text of the amendment now included in HB 1845 is the same as HB 1160).

If you have any questions or concerns, need further information, or are able
to share any feedback you get from your calls to senators, I welcome your
calls and emails!

THANK YOU for your continued work to end domestic violence and its tragic
consequences.

Nicole A. Lindemyer, Esq.
Policy & Special Projects Manager
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV)
6400 Flank Drive, Suite 1300
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 545-6400, ext. 205
nal@...