West Central PA News

State Rep. Brian Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana) opposed a bill mandating electronic records of gun sales. He issued this statement following the vote:

“Just like the rest of the gun control measures House Democrats have proposed, will not prevent any shootings. All it will do is put strain on gun manufacturers and dealers, making it more costly for Pennsylvanians to defend themselves.

“This bill would require manufacturers and dealers to submit their records of sale to the state police electronically, rather than by mail. Back in 2019, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General created the Track and Trace Initiative to assist in tracing gun crimes and preventing gun trafficking. This gave willing firearm retailers the ability to submit their sales records electronically. Why is this, suddenly, no longer good enough?

“This bill is another mandate by House Democrats aimed at making life more difficult for law-abiding gun owners. This bill will not keep us from criminals who mean harm. Criminals don’t fill out background checks and go through licensed gun retailers before committing gun violence. Instead, this bill is effectively mandating another firearm registry, giving the Commonwealth the ability to ask for whatever information it wants at the point of sale, then uploading that into a massive database at the fingertips of the Pennsylvania State Police.

“While I do not believe either the state government or the state police have any ill intent, I cannot and will not support any unnecessary legislation that negatively affects law-abiding Pennsylvanians.”

Less than a majority of members voted in favor of House Bill 2206, but House Democrats made a motion to reconsider the measure in the future.

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