Sign and send this open letter to members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
"Dear Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,
Last year 78 Pennsylvanians were shot and killed in domestic violence-related incidents. We know from research that the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed. And yet, there are dangerous gaps in Pennsylvania law that allow domestic abusers easy access to guns.
Women, children, police officers, and other Pennsylvanians in our community are put at risk every day in our state, but as a state legislator you can do something to help save lives and end the terror for families.
In March of this year, the Pennsylvania State Senate stood with survivors of domestic violence and with the majority of Pennsylvanians when they unanimously voted for legislation to protect domestic violence survivors from abusers armed with guns.
In June, the House of Representatives also had a chance to vote on this life-saving legislation and instead, shockingly, took a summer break. Not every member of the House thought this was a responsible idea: Republicans and Democrats alike expressed outrage the day their colleagues didn’t finally do the right thing and pass this bill out of the House.
Abuse doesn't take a summer break. Domestic violence survivors can't take a vacation from their abuser armed with a gun.
Pennsylvania State Representatives, we urge you to commit to prioritize passing legislation in the House, working with the State Senate, and getting a bill to the Governor before session adjourns this fall. This must be done to ensure domestic abusers subject to final Protection From Abuse orders and abusers convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence are not only prohibited from possessing firearms but also required to turn in the firearms they own immediately.
It's common sense. It's bipartisan. It has the support of law-abiding gun owners and Pennsylvania law enforcement. And it's too important to play politics.
Final passage of this legislation must be your priority this fall — the lives of women, children, police officers and Pennsylvanians will continue to hang in the balance.
Sincerely,
Pennsylvania Moms Demand Action and more than 6,000 Pennsylvanians and counting.