What the PA's Blue Wave Could Mean for Gun Reform – The Philadelphia Citizen

What the PA’s Blue Wave Could Mean for Gun Reform  The Philadelphia Citizen

Newly won control in Harrisburg could allow Democrats to implement gun reform legislation, including ghost gun bans A national blue wave will give Pennsylvania Democrats their greatest chance in more than 30 years of passing gun reform bills that have been languishing in the state Legislature. Democrats won control of the state Senate and expanded their majority in the House in the November 3 elections. Governor Josh Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, both Democrats, were also victorious, giving Democrats a governing trifecta for the first time since 1993. Meanwhile, Republicans lost their grip on the state Senate, which they have controlled for more than three decades. State Democrats told The Trace in October that if they achieved a government trifecta, they would pursue gun reform measures that Republicans have long blocked.

Those include bills to ban homemade, untraceable “ghost guns”; expand background checks to more types of gun purchases; create a red flag law to temporarily take guns from people deemed a danger to themselves or others; and outlaw conversion devices, also known as switches, that enable handguns to fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute. In their Tuesday night victory speeches, Shapiro and Davis spoke about public safety in general but did not mention specific bills. Shapiro said the voters had spoken, and they wanted the government to