todd-stephens
MontCo lawmaker’s mandatory minimum bill is unlikely to reduce gun violence, opponents say
The full House could vote as soon as February on legislation sponsored by Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery. Critics say it would not reduce violence
Facing pushback, Montgomery County lawmaker drops proposal to add mandatory minimums to some gun crimes
Mandatory minimums have fallen out of fashion as states including Pennsylvania attempt to reduce prison populations amid a decade-long drop in violent crime rates.
Montgomery County lawmaker moves to add mandatory minimum sentences to criminal justice bills
Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery, may face opposition from criminal justice reform advocates, who say his proposal stand to drive up prison populations
How one week in the Capitol drove home our destructive paralysis on gun laws | John L. Micek
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — So here’s another one of those times when you get to see the unintended through-lines of policy. On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro held a roundtable with students in the sprawling Cumberland Valley School District, about 25 minutes from Harrisburg, to discuss the effectiveness of the state’s new “Safe2Say” hotline program, […]
House Judiciary chairman says he won’t consider red flag proposal as panel advances mandatory minimums
The votes by the House Judiciary Committee marked the first legislative action on firearms after a summer dominated by mass shootings, including two in one August weekend that left 29 people dead.
Pa. House committee will vote on mandatory minimums for gun crimes, much to Democrats’ chagrin
On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee will consider a package of 12 firearms or violence-related bills.
Sentencing officials are trying — again — to build an algorithm to predict future crimes. Critics still have big concerns
It’s been nearly 10 years since Pennsylvania lawmakers ordered a state commission to develop a computer algorithm to aid judges in sentencing with the goal of reducing prison populations.
Trump wants states to pass red flag gun laws. Will the Pennsylvania Legislature comply?
At least one Republican is hopeful.
How one Republican lawmaker is trying to balance gun rights and due process in Pennsylvania
The state ACLU has gone from opposed to neutral on a propose "red flag law."
It’s on all of us to fight human trafficking | Opinion
As citizens we all have a role to play in recognizing the signs of human trafficking and to report suspicious behavior when we become aware.
State lawmakers introduce ‘red flag’ gun bills on anniversary of Parkland shooting
On the one-year anniversary of a deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Pennsylvania lawmakers and activists renewed calls for a “red flag” law that would limit firearm access for troubled individuals. Two state senators introduced bills to create an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law, which would allow a judge to temporarily restrict a person’s […]