WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia condemns in the strongest possible terms all acts of gun violence perpetrated against citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and this nation.
WHEREAS, Following the mass murder at the Tree of Life Synagogue, City of Pittsburgh Councilmembers O’Connor, Strassburger, Kraus, Lavelle, Burgess, Coghill and Gross and Mayor Peduto have, respectively, introduced and supported reform to existing firearms laws to meet public safety needs.
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not recognize the authority of municipal legislative bodies to enact laws to protect constituents from the scourge of gun violence.
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia believes in the dignity and safety of all people, and in protecting the lives of all citizens from the type of gun violence which occurred at the Tree of Life Synagogue and which occurs daily throughout Philadelphia.
WHEREAS, The above named members of Pittsburgh’s City Council introduced a set of three bills in response to the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
WHEREAS, These bills call for an outright ban on assault weapons, limit dangerous firearm accessories, and enable the removal of firearms from people who have demonstrated an extreme risk to public or personal safety.
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia is in support of common sense gun regulations like those introduced in Pittsburgh.
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia believes that it should have the authority to legislate on firearms to uphold its duty to protect citizens of Philadelphia from gun violence.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the State Legislature and Governor of Pennsylvania must recognize the authority and efforts of Pittsburgh City Councilmembers to protect citizens from acts of gun violence through common sense gun legislation following the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
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