Friend, A mother knows her son is having a crisis. He’s withdrawn, depressed, and his behavior is alarming. She’s terrified he will hurt himself. But she has no options to even temporarily secure his guns. A man sells a gun to someone who can't get their own because of a criminal record. When its used in an assault, he claims it was lost. A violent felon can’t get a gun at a store so he calls up a private dealer and obtains a rifle without a background check. Sadly, in Pennsylvania all three of these stories are an all too common reality. That’s why we have put together a three-pronged Common Agenda to address the full scope of gun violence. Extreme Risk Protection Orders to prevent suicide. Mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms that are often used in shootings. And, closing holes in the background check system will prevent mass shootings. Sign the petition for this Common Agenda today. While we know this plan will not end all of gun violence, these three prongs have received bipartisan support and have the potential to build the movement necessary to move forward. - Our Extreme Risk Protection plan will create a process for family members or law enforcement to temporarily remove access to guns if someone is at risk of harm to themselves or others. It’d start with a petition to the court and then eventually a formal hearing to ensure the temporary removal was warranted.
- Mandatory reporting of Lost or Stolen firearms would crack down on some of the major sources of crime guns: loss, theft, and straw purchasers – people who buy guns and then sell them illegally to people who can’t buy them on their own.
- Long guns, including rifles, shotguns and semi-automatic military-style rifles, can be sold in Pennsylvania without a background check as long as they are sold by a private seller. Our plan addresses the gap in background checks and is designed to close the “long gun loophole” by treating the private sale of long guns the same as the private sale of handguns.
These proposals are both ambitious and commonsense. As we start a new year, with many new leaders in Harrisburg, we need to let them know we are serious about addressing gun violence. The Common Agenda puts out leaders on the spot: they can’t oppose this agenda without compromising the safety of their constituents. Together, we can make our neighborhoods, parks, schools and homes safer. Sincerely, Adam Garber
CeaseFirePA Executive Director | 
