Four ballot questions, including three proposed constitutional amendments, will appear on the May 18 Primary ballot in PA.

• The first two questions will add two amendments to the PA constitution, giving the PA Legislature more say and the governor less say in determining the extension or termination of disaster emergency declarations. These questions stem from the Legislature’s inability to curb Governor Tom Wolf’s COVID pandemic abuses. If approved by the voters, the two questions will amend the PA Constitution to give the legislature emergency declaration/termination authority that it currently does not have.
• The third question will add an amendment in the PA constitution guaranteeing that a person’s rights under the law cannot be denied because of race or ethnicity.  This question is restricted to race & ethnicity only.

Note: Attempts to include gender identity in this question were rejected during the
legislative process to place the question on the ballot.

• The 4th question will determine whether the state loan program for volunteer fire companies & emergency services will be expanded to include paidfire departments and emergency services.

        Paid fire departments and emergency services currently have income from taxes
and/or insurance & individual billing.  This is different from volunteer fire companies,
volunteer ambulance services and volunteer rescue squads in PA which raise their own
funds and have unpaid staff.

Note: Many paid emergency ambulance services are privately owned companies, even though they may carry a municipal name.

Ballot Question 1

Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to change existing law and increase the power of the General Assembly to unilaterally terminate or extend a disaster emergency declaration—and the powers of Commonwealth agencies to address the disaster regardless of its severity pursuant to that declaration—through passing a concurrent resolution by simple majority, thereby removing the existing check and balance of presenting a resolution to the Governor for approval or disapproval?

Ballot Question 2

Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to change existing law so that: a disaster emergency declaration will expire automatically after 21 days, regardless of the severity of the emergency, unless the General Assembly takes action to extend the disaster emergency; the Governor may not declare a new disaster emergency to respond to the dangers facing the Commonwealth unless the General Assembly passes a concurrent resolution; the General Assembly enacts new laws for disaster management?

Ballot Question 3

Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended by adding a new section providing that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of an individual’s race or ethnicity?

Ballot Question 4

Do you favor expanding the use of the indebtedness authorized under the referendum for loans to volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance services and volunteer rescue squads under 35 PA.C.S. §7378.1 (related to referendum for additional indebtedness) to include loans to municipal fire departments or companies that provide services through paid personnel and emergency medical services companies for the purpose of establishing and modernizing facilities to house apparatus equipment, ambulances and rescue vehicles, and for purchasing apparatus equipment, ambulances and rescue vehicles, protective and communications equipment and any other accessory equipment necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the fire companies and emergency medical services companies? 

Author’s Note:

A YES vote on the first two questions is recommended because Governor Wolf’s unchecked power caused extensive damage to PA’s economy during the COVID pandemic & demonstrates the failings of not having a check & balance in place for emergency declarations in state government.

The equality question is strictly defined to race & ethnicity; a YES vote is recommended.

A NO vote is recommended on the state loan expansion question.  Paid services are entirely different from volunteer services.  Taxpayer-funded loans should apply to services which have limited sources of income, not to supplement services with established revenue flow.

Independents, non-affiliated voters, and members of minor parties can only vote on the ballot questions in the primary election and are urged to do so. 

Please feel free to share this widely, as very little is being published about all four questions.

It is urgent that we, the voter, are informed & vote on these questions in the May 18th primary, or the parties will ultimately decide these issues for us.

See Americans for Prosperity for further discussion on Ballot Questions 1, 2, & 3

 

https://americansforprosperity.org/americans-for-prosperity-pennsylvania-launches-campaign-to-reduce-governors-emergency-powers-in-primary-election/

If you don’t know that your freedom, especially the 2nd Amendment, is under a full frontal assault by the Biden Administration and the current anti-gun Democrat congress, you’d better wake up. Wake up fast and get involved.

Two anti-gun bills passed the House last week and are now in the Senate for consideration. Read the following excerpts from FOAC’s March Newsletter, (Click here for complete newsletter) then contact your Senators and the additional Senator on the list to voice your opinion. Tell them in no uncertain terms that you want them to vote NO!!! on these bills

FOAC March Newsletter Excerpts

HR 8 Titled “Bipartisan Background Checks Act Of 2021” Is Dangerous to Your Ability to Defend Yourself-The Life You Save May Be Your Own

THIS bill, ostensibly referred to as a “universal background check act”, is in actuality UNIVERSAL GUN REGISTRATION that history has shown us eventually leads to Universal Gun Confiscation. This is not guesswork or supposition because cities and states that have universal gun registration have passed laws that have allowed government to go door-to-door and take firearms (i.e. New York City, California, etc.). These bills are being rushed through Congress at breakneck speed. In point of fact neither this bill or HR 1446 were listed in the schedule for being brought up today, March 11.

Congress is locked and loaded with a full magazine of Liberty stealing bills and your civil liberties are in their sights. This is but one bullet in their arsenal intended to separate you from your God given choice to defend yourself!

YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION IS REQUIRED TO STOP THIS BILL NOW in the Senate

Make no mistake about it, this proposed bill is a push to CRIMINALIZE YOUR ABILITY TO PROTECT YOURSELF from the violent criminals who DON’T bother with background checks.

The most dangerous cities in America have the strictest gun control laws. Any act that infringes on your ability to purchase or use a firearm puts YOU AT RISK OF BECOMING THE NEXT VICTIM of a violent attack.

As if HR 8 wasn’t bad enough there is a companion bill HR 1446 being pushed by the same leftists to infringe upon your right to your personal safety that allows the FBI to indefinitely delay background checks gun transfers-slow walking long enough that you might never be allowed to receive your firearm.

Some spineless Republicans in the House seeking THEIR peace and bipartisanship over YOUR SAFETY may be swayed to approve these bills and influence the Republican Senators to join in their cowardice.

This is SERIOUS – in one database the government will know who you are, what guns you own and all that will be missing is that knock on your door and, in one fell swoop, your inalienable God given rights to keep and bear arms will not only have been infringed upon but stolen. THERE IS NO GRANDFATHER CLAUSE.

Nancy Pelosi and her leftist gang with their armed body guards (guns for me but not for thee) will sleep soundly at night while you hide in a closet with no means of self-defense should you hear strange footsteps in the hall.

Stay Free!

Kim Stolfer, President

 

HR-8 – Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021

 

Description: Establishes new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties. Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check.

 

Senator Pat Toomey

WASHINGTON, D.C. Office

455 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C 20510

Phone: (202) 224-4254

Fax: (202) 228-0284

 

PITTSBURGH, PA Office

310 Grant Street, Suite 1440

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Phone: (412) 803-3501

Fax: (412) 803-3504

Email: https://www.toomey.senate.gov/contact/email-senator-toomey

 

Senator Bob Casey

WASHINGTON, D.C. Office

393 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-6324

Fax: (202) 228-0604

 

PITTSBURGH, PA Office

310 Grant Street, Suite 2415

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Phone: (412) 803-7370

Fax: (412) 803-7379

Email: https://www.casey.senate.gov/contact

 

Senator Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader

317 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-2541

Fax: (202) 224-2499

Email: https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactform

HR-1446 – Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021

Description: Revises background check requirements applicable to proposed firearm transfers from a federal firearms licensee (e.g., a licensed gun dealer) to an unlicensed person. Specifically, it increases the amount of time, from 3 business days to a minimum of 10 business days.

Contact Information

First, Contact your two Pennsylvania Senators and tell them in no uncertain terms the you want them to vote NO!!! On both HR-8 and HR-1446.

Then contact the additional listed Senator to increase your impact

You might consider some of these Senators a lost cause, but contact them anyway. We must make our voices heard.

If you have questions you can contact:

Bob Oles              724-709-5669 roles120@reagan.com

Craig Holdren  724-312-7463 craig@craigholdren.com

Continuing Gun Voter Betrayals, Rubio Adds Blacklists to Red Flags

U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “Senator Marco Rubio introduces bill to suspend gun rights of anyone who has ever been ‘investigated’ for domestic terrorism,”  The Unz Review reported Sunday. “The Senate bill, named the Terror Intelligence Improvement Act, was reentered last week in hopes of exploiting the hysteria surrounding the January 6th Capitol protests. The law intends to violate the civil liberties of American citizens who are not charged or convicted of a crime if somebody is deemed politically dangerous.”

“Reentered”?

Yes, Rubio tried this before in 2016 as a “kinder, gentler” alternative to a bill being pushed by then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.  No doubt the rationale is if Republicans throw a scrap of flesh to the circling pack of Democrat jackals, it will satisfy them and keep them from pushing through something worse.

Like that works in nature.

You don’t give the gun-grabbers an inch because they will take it and then come back for more. They always have and you’d have to be an idiot not to see it. Their end goal has also been clear for anyone willing to admit the truth to the lie about “commonsense gun safety laws” and see them for what they are (and what their early “leaders’ have admitted to — incremental steps on the way to total disarmament).

And while Rubio’s bill makes noises about “due process,” those are just that. It would still remove guns from citizens not only not convicted of any crime, but not charged with any.  And who among us has the financial resources to take on the government’s virtually limitless reserves in the hopes that the judge won’t be a robed Democrat apparatchik, and/or that the Roberts Supreme Court would hear our appeal if he was?

Then again, “due process” and “Marco Rubio” don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand, as Rubio’s flat-out lie of a promise that “A red flag law will reduce bloodshed and respect the rights of gun owners” shows anyone willing to look behind the weasel words.

So first “red flag laws” and now a “blacklist,” despite NRA assigning Rubio an “A+” rating and telling members he “has a proven record of support for our Second Amendment freedoms,” pointedly adding:

“Opposes Government Blacklists – Voted against denying persons on secret government lists their Second Amendment right to purchase or own a firearm without due process.”

What goes unsaid in all the “national security” flag-waving (ironically much of it being done by politicians who otherwise demonize nationalists as “extremists” and worse), is that if I were a terrorist, I’d want to be on the blacklist. That way, if I wanted to find out if I’d been made, I’d try to buy a gun, see if I was flagged, and plan my next evasion moves accordingly.

Suddenly the list isn’t so secret. I’m no surveillance pro, but isn’t it a cardinal rule not to let your subject know he’s being watched? The thought strikes: Maybe that’s not what this is really about?

OK, but what about all those other items on NRA’s list, all those things we’re told Rubio “opposes” and “supports”?

Most of them are meaningless happy talk: What does “Opposes Anti-Gun Supreme Court Justices” really mean when the whole system is set up to protect them – during their “job interview” – from telling us what the Founders intended when they declared “shall not be infringed”? And it’s easy to say you support permit “reciprocity” when you know the “Republican leadership” has no intentions of bringing a bill to the floor, and when your symbiotic relationship with NRA protects you from answering direct questions about “Constitutional” carry (really “permitless” carry, as gun bans and “gun-free zone” prohibitions, still apply).

That’s not saying Rubio hasn’t voted “right” much of the time and that an overt Democrat gun-grabber wouldn’t have voted “worse.” But the thing about that is, his (and other Republiquislings’) actions on another issue will ultimately undo and reverse every one of those “good” votes:

“Republican Senators Marco Rubio, John Cornyn, Susan Collins, and Thom Tillis will attend a Thursday “summit” meeting hosted by the “American Business Immigration Coalition,” a pro-amnesty group consisting of big business donors, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as the George Soros-funded United We Dream organization.”

We know where that will lead, particularly after Joe Biden fast-tracks millions of illegals on his superhighway to citizenship: All credible polls and all real-world experience in places like California and Virginia demonstrate that “amnesty” and a “pathway to citizenship” for MILLIONS of foreign nationals in this country illegally (and legally, with CURRENT culturally suicidal policies) will overwhelmingly favor Democrats and anti-gunners. This will result in supermajorities in state and federal legislatures that will then be able to pass all kinds of anti-gun edicts. It will also result in confirmations of judges to the Supreme and federal courts who will uphold those edicts and reverse gains made to date.

I know there are some who discourage such talk under the false assertion that we must focus exclusively on the “single issue.” Nonsense. Anything that threatens the right to keep and bear arms IS the single issue. These are the same people who tell us it’s OK for gun owners to consider other issues more important than guns and vote for Joe Biden. Again, nonsense. If appreciation of firearms and shooting was what mattered, we’d have no better friend than Lon Horiuchi. They’re (deliberately!) disregarding that it’s really not about guns at all. It’s about freedom, and nothing is more important than that.

So what do we do about politicians like Rubio?

If we don’t vote for him, we’ll get someone really, really bad, the common excuse goes, pretty confident that in the interim, we’re not going to be doing what we can to look for “primarying” alternatives. Based on the ratio of gun owners complaining about things to the number actually doing the hard and consistent work of organizing to change things, they probably have a point.

“Politics is the art of the possible,” a “gun rights leader” once told me, using silly platitudes to persuade me to tone down on the hardline rhetoric. “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”

How anyone afraid to push the envelope with just words is able to determine what is possible is beyond me. And forgive me for not acknowledging that a flexible-principled political ingrate subverting our efforts from inside the gates is “good.”

“He votes our way 90 percent of the time,  the argument goes. Well then make the damn political rating reflect that. We’re smart enough to know the difference between a “C” and an “A,” and to present things otherwise smacks of cynical deception to maximize fundraising. And here I thought the object was to have an informed membership.

Just for argument’s sake, would you accept that level of “fidelity” from your wife or husband?

About David Codrea:

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.

https://www.ammoland.com/2021/02/continuing-gun-voter-betrayals-rubio-adds-blacklists-to-red-flags/

Anti-gun lawmakers are pushing legislation to undo Pennsylvania’s state firearms preemption statute (title 18, section 6120) in an effort to empower the urban centers in our state to pass laws that would cause gun owners to easily fall victim to legal rat traps by crossing an invisible line between two jurisdictions with gun laws that might conflict with one another.

As you know, FOAC has been at the forefront of protecting Pennsylvania’s firearm preemption statute and we currently have two actions in front of the court. One is involving Harrisburg and that case is awaiting a decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the other is the major case necessitated by the anti-gun/criminal actions of the mayor of the city of Pittsburgh and city Council to pass major packages of gun control and that case is sitting in front of Commonwealth Court!

As you can imagine, these cases are enormously expensive and if you have the means, and are willing, we could certainly use your most generous donation to our legal defense fund! You can donate here: Click here!

The legislation that has been filed thus far and is outlined below:

PA House: HB 361

Memos of intent have been filed by the legislators below to introduce preemption law elimination:

PA Senate: Sen. Maria Collet Memo

Both legislators are Democrats currying favor with CeaseFire PA who could care less about who is victimized by local laws or how allowing this violates Dillon’s Rule, the PA Municipal Code ‘and’ the Equal Protections Clause of the Constitution.

Preemption statutes bring uniformity to state gun regulations, and perhaps that is why gun control zealots want to be rid of them. Confusing and contradictory gun laws amount to entrapment, in our view, and that’s why many such laws were passed in the first place in Pennsylvania and other states.

Long story short, anti-gunners despise preemption because it prevents them from adopting severe, restrictive local ordinances (just like Pittsburgh has done) when they can’t impose radical gun laws at the state level. Everytown for Gun Safety’s research arm contends at its website, “State firearm preemption laws override common sense by limiting cities wracked with gun violence to the identical laws that apply in rural areas where responsible gun ownership is more embedded in daily life.” Let that little tidbit of stupidity sink in for a moment!

Pennsylvania has become something of a petri dish for anti-gunners wanting to experiment with various gun control proposals. Now, it appears, the gun control lobby and its state legislative allies are broadening their offensive.

There are four pieces of important legislation in the Pennsylvania House, listed below and on the attached chart. That chart has all of the PA State Reps in Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Washington Counties, and whether they have cosponsored these bills. Their USPS mail & email addresses are listed, along with phone numbers for local and Harrisburg offices to make it easy to contact them.

If you see your Rep. has not cosponsored these bills, please contact his or her office. Ask for his or her support and tell them why you think they should.

To increase your effectiveness, send this to your family and friends and ask them to do the same, even if they live in a different area in one of these counties.

These Bills Are

Constitutional Carry (no bill # yet) (59 Cosponsors)- PA Rep. Aaron Bernstine. His district covers portions of Beaver, Butler, & Lawrence Counties. As long as you’re a lawful gun owner, acting in a lawful manner, you can carry concealed without a “License To Carry Firearms.” Let’s face it, only the law abiding folks bother to get a LTCF. See Cosponsorship memo for additional details.

Repeal & Replace PA Instant Check System, HB280 (21 Cosponsors)- PA Rep. Jason Ortitay. His district covers portions of Washington and Allegheny Counties. The PICS system is so bad, millions will have to be spent to bring it up to speed. A PICS check for a firearm purchase also includes a check with NICS by the PA State Police. So why the duplication? See Cosponsorship memo for additional details.

Preemption over local firearms and ammunition regulations (no bill # yet) (43 Cosponsors) – PA State Rep. Matthew Dowling. His district is in Somerset County. If you run afoul of an illegal local ordinance, you’ll be able to sue that local municipality to recover your legal fees and lost income. See Cosponsorship memo for additional details.

The following bill may not appear 2nd Amendment oriented, but it gets to the core of freedom, that is, the right to free and fair elections.

Abolish the No Excuse Mail In Vote, HB25 (23 Cosponsors) – PA State Rep. Mike Puskaric. His district covers portions of Washington & Allegheny Counties. With the mass confusion and mail-in ballot irregularities in the last election, along with the Governor’s will to overstep and chip away at the separation of powers, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court having no problem overstepping its boundaries, this situation needs correcting. See Cosponsorship memo for additional details.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill Friday that will allow Utah residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

The law, which will go into effect in May, allows anyone 21-and-older to carry a concealed weapon.

“With the passage of this bill, Utah joins 17 other states with some form of permitless concealed carry,” Cox said Friday. “This bill protects Second Amendment rights, reduces permitless open carry (which is already legal), and includes significant funding for suicide prevention.”

All 2nd Amendment Supporters / Gun Owners,

With all of the chaos and riots going on in our country, and liberal, socialist oriented politicians sitting back not only letting it happen but encouraging it, I sure hope all of you are more attuned to the necessity of our Right To Keep & Bear Arms. This right, like any right, needs to be defended. An opportunity do just that is coming to Pennsylvanians, 11:00am Tuesday, September 29th at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg. Please see the attached flyer.

Important Points:

• Transportation to the rally will be made individually by each person going. There have been no buses leased for the trip from Beaver County that I’m aware of. There are a number of parking garages in Harrisburg that are within walking distance of the Capitol Building.  https://parkharrisburg.com

• At this point, the Capitol Building will be open. Also at this point, there is not a centrally organized “Team Meetings” for legislators. Individual attendees can make those arrangements for themselves and friends. Target your home Representative and Senator first.

• Legislation to focus on:
  • HB-1747, Pro-Gun. Legislation drafted by Rep. Matthew Dowling (R-Fayette/Somerset) that would remove restrictions on firearms during an emergency declaration. FOAC, 9/12/20 Newsletter, see HB-1747 Section.  GOA Article   NRA Alert
  • HB-2440, Pro-Gun. Designates shooting ranges, sportsman clubs, hunting facilities and businesses relating to the sale and production of firearms and ammunition as life-sustaining. This will prevent the closure of these facilities during an emergency declaration. GOA Alert HB-1747 & HB-2440 
  • HB-307, Anti-Gun. Assault Weapons Ban. This legislation bans a broad cross-section of gas operated firearms. Refer to FOAC 2019-2020 Anti-Gun Legislation, Item #1
  • HB-768, Anti-Gun. This bill would mandate that ALL firearms must be registered and taxed annually ($10) with the PA State Police. Refer to FOAC 2019-2020 Anti-Gun Legislation Item #4

If you have questions you can contact:

Bob Oles                      724-709-5669  roles120@reagan.com

Craig Holdren  724-312-7463  craig@craigholdren.com

Hope to see thousands of Freedom Loving Patriots in Harrisburg for the rally.