(The Center Square) – After a heated floor debate, the final bill in a series of proposed gun control measures failed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The legislation would have served to ban “machine gun conversion devices” also known as “switches” or “glock switches,” which allow standard pistols to fire over a thousand rounds per minute.
Debate on the topic brought a wide variety of viewpoints from both sides of the House, some measured and some emotional.
Proponents of the legislation say it’s a commonsense measure to reduce the potential destruction that can be inflicted by a single shooter in a short period. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Cheswick, pointed to the death of Brackenridge Borough Police Chief Justin McIntire as a tragic example of the devices’ power.
“Every single police officer that I know wants a state-level ban on these devices,” said Steele. “How can we say that we support our police and then turn them out on the streets to face something like this?”
Opponents say that any restrictions on guns are violations of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to bear arms and Article 1, Section 21 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, which states, “The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.”
Some speaking against the bill also pointed out that criminals by definition do not follow laws, maintaining that it would only unjustly limit law-abiding citizens from possessing machine guns.
Rep. Bryan Cutler, R-Quarryville, expressed sympathy and empathy for the problem but took issue with the wording of the bill. He pointed to “ambiguous language” conflating bump stocks with other devices and conflicting definitions between state and federal legislation on the topic.
Rep. Joe Hohenstein, D-Philadelphia, demonstrated a calm legal approach to the topic, elaborating on the state and country’s founders’ intentions and expectations as stated in their respective constitutions. He concluded that the “unalienable rights” to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” supersede the right to bear arms, therefore allowing for some limitations to be imposed on the potency of weapons.
“I want to focus on the word ‘humbly’ because too often we are not humble in our beliefs,” said Hohenstein. “We do not actually question our own beliefs, and we only question those of others.”
Still others voiced the type of fiery rhetoric that has served to increasingly alarm divided Americans over the past decade, leading to derogatory and even threatening comments between representatives in light of their speeches.
“I heard a lot of people saying that our founders wanted us to have the Second Amendment in case there’s a tyrannical government from whom we need to take up arms,” said Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia. “I am not suggesting as others have that we should do that, madame speaker. In fact, I’ve constantly supported gun safety and gun reform in this building, but for people who want to pretend that they are ‘No tread on me, don’t tread on me,’ I would make you aware that there’s a guy I know who’s treading, and you all never have anything to say about it, so save me your self-righteous speeches about standing up for tyranny when you do nothing to stand up for tyranny consistently and constantly.”
The speech concluded to a mix of raucous applause and jeering, leading to the need to clear the aisles before debate could continue.
It was not the last time during the debate that House Speaker Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, and caucus leaders urged representatives to refrain from attacking the character of their colleagues and to remain on the topic at hand.
Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-Lock Haven, who Tuesday accused Democrats nationwide of a tyrannical plot to disarm the populace, was stopped when her speech began accusing “leftists” of hypocrisy, citing the “defund the police” slogan that spread widely in the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 killing.
The House maintains strict rules for decorum that aim to center debate on the issues at hand and the constituents they represent.
“Our neighbors did not send us here to have schoolyard fights, to be bullies,” said McClinton. “We will do better because we know how to do better, and, before this morning, I’ve seen this institution do better.”
Polling consistently shows that while most Americans support the Second Amendment and substantial numbers themselves own guns. Most also support stricter gun laws, including bans on assault weapons. Gallup poll trends analyzed in 2024 show that support for gun control has risen among Democrats and decreased among Republicans in recent years.
The vote came down almost across party lines, with Democrat Frank Burns of Johnstown handing Republicans the 102nd vote required to tip the scales.
