BTW.. I just found this on Rendell's web site: www.rendellforgovernor.com
INCREASE PENALTIES FOR CRIMES
COMMITTED WITH GUNS
I support the Second Amendment and the rights of hunters. While I will not
take away the guns owned by law-abiding citizens, I firmly believe that we
have to protect our communities from violence
-- Ed Rendell
If Pennsylvania is going to keeping crime low, we will have to reduce the access
to the weapons used in the commission of crimes and severely punish criminals.
As Governor, Ed Rendell Will:
œ Increase Mandatory Penalties for Crimes Committed with Guns: Current state
law requires a firearm to be visible during the commission of a crime to warrant a five-
year mandatory sentence and does not differentiate between the type of weapon or
whether the weapon was fired. Federal law does not require the weapon to be visible to
necessitate the minimum five-year sentence and increases penalties for the type of
weapon and its use.
Rendells plan also:
! Mandates a minimum five-year sentence without parole or probation for
individuals who are in possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime;
! Increases to seven (7) years without parole or probation the punishment for
individuals who brandish a firearm in the commission of a crime;
! Increases to ten (10) years without parole or probation the punishment for
individuals who discharge a firearm in furtherance of a crime;
! Increases to ten (10) years without parole or probation the punishment for
individuals who are in possession of semi-automatic assault weapon during the
commission of a crime, whether the weapon is brandished or not; and
! Increases to thirty (30) years without parole or probation the punishment for
individuals caught with a machinegun or other automatic weapon.
œ Work to Reduce Handgun Crime in Our Communities: Pennsylvania has become
a source of illegal handguns to other states and handgun violence in our communities
remains unacceptably high. Although a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, Ed
Rendell believes that we have to protect our communities from violence. [b]As Governor,
he will propose and push for a limit on handgun purchases to one per month for each
legal purchaser in a household i.e. 12 per year for individuals and 24 for married
couples.
The only people who need to purchase multiple handguns a month are those who
desire to sell the weapons on the black market for profit. We cannot continue to allow
these criminals to gain access to a cache of handguns, which they unleash onto our streets
and into the hands of other criminals or even worse -- our children. [/b]
œ Help Communities Adopt Operation Ceasefire: Ed Rendell shares the belief that
to control gun violence in our communities, we must fully enforce the laws we have on
the books. As Philadelphias Mayor, Ed Rendell worked with the NRA and others to
implement Operation Ceasefire in Philadelphia. This innovative program the first
adopted by any American big city transfers gun crime cases (possession of a firearm by
a convicted felon or drug dealer) from state court to federal court where penalties are fare
more severe.
Since its inception in Philadelphia in late 1998, over 650 defendants who were
transferred to federal court by city policy and prosecutors have been convicted and
sentenced to an average of 9.8 years in jail. Prior to 1998, these types of violations had
received an average of four months incarceration in the state court system.
As Governor, Ed Rendell will ensure that counties that want to implement their
own Operation Ceasefire will get the technical assistance to do so. He will also
successfully lobby Congress to provide the funds for additional US Attorneys and
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents in every district of the state.
Need any KY?