Smart Talk: Local gun laws could bring lawsuits; Congressional candidate Scott Perry

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, October 22, 2014:

Section 6120 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code prohibits local municipalities from enacting their own gun laws so that they are uniform throughout the state.

That’s hasn’t stopped some 50 local governments from passing their own gun laws. Most of them require gun owners to report lost or stolen guns. That law is designed to help eliminate straw purchases where someone legally able to purchase a firearm does so and hands it over to a convicted criminal who can’t legally buy a gun. Often when the gun purchased turns up in a crime, the person who purchased it tells law enforcement it was lost or stolen.

This week the Pennsylvania legislature approved and sent to Gov. Tom Corbett a bill that would allow individuals and groups to sue municipalities that have their own gun laws.

Supporters say the bill would protect gun owners’ rights and would not subject them to different laws depending on where they live. Opponents described the would-be law as giving the gun lobby special rights and called it a license to file frivolous lawsuits.

Lancaster is one of the cities with a law that requires lost or stolen guns to be reported. Mayor Rick Gray appears on Smart Talk to explain his opposition.

Also, with the November 4 election less than two weeks away, Smart Talk will feature conversations with area Congressional candidates.

Republican incumbent Scott Perry who represents York and Adams Counties, and part of Cumberland County along with the city of Harrisburg, joins is on Wednesday’s program.