Governor Josh Shapiro, Democratic legislators and law enforcement officials gathered to highlight two recent house bills focused on gun violence prevention that were passed out of the Pennsylvania state House.
One bill would expand background checks, and the other would introduce a red flag law.
Expanded background checks would include private purchases at gun shows. Red flag laws allow courts to remove firearms from people they deem to be dangerous.
Gov. Shapiro commended the legislators for passing the bills and urged more support of law enforcement.
“These democrats assembled here together with a handful of republicans voted affirmatively on those bills to pass them out of the House of Representatives. Their actions were brave and bold and will save lives. Their actions were also common sense,” Shapiro said.
“Real freedom means a family getting up on Sunday morning, putting on their finest clothes, walking down the street to church, worrying about what’s in the hymnal and not worrying about a shooter coming in and attacking them in their pews. That’s real freedom. The freedom to be safe and feel safe in our community,” he continued.
The press event was held in Delaware County.
Those bills will now go to the state Senate. They need to be passed by the Senate before they can be sent to Governor Shapiro’s desk to be signed into law.