Pgh Mayor Gainey pleads with lawmakers to fight gun violence

By Ladimir Garcia

PITTSBURGH —  Following a string of mass shootings that have shaken the nation this year, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is urging state lawmakers to take action on gun reform.

During a Monday news conference, Gainey joined a slate of community leaders to press for change at the state level.

“We are begging our legislators in Harrisburg to give us the right to fight for the life of our children,” Gainey, a Democrat, said.

After mass shootings in New York, Texas, and even in Pittsburgh, there has been a nationwide outcry for stronger gun control laws in the U.S. When, last month, a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas resulted in the deaths of 19 children, Congress began working on a bipartisan gun safety bill, which eventually passed both the U.S. House and Senate.

Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery, was the lone Republican member of the house judiciary committee to vote against another amendment to gut a bill requiring background checks for long guns.

— Peter Hall (@PeteHallPA) June 28, 2022

President Joe Biden signed the bill into law last weekend, making it the first major piece of gun safety legislation to pass Congress in almost 30 years.

Gainey also recently introduced his own “Plan for Peace,” which aims to reduce violence across the city. The plan is composed of several initiatives that are meant to bring collective improvements to safety throughout the city.