With more than 130 co-sponsors, or 65% of the House members by the end of the House debate, it would appear that momentum was on our side when the bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee in January of 2009. No hearing was held until November of that year, with testimony from a variety of self-defense advocates, including Daniel Pehrson of the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association and John Hohenwarter of the NRA. Many more months passed before the bill was passed by the Judiciary Committee in May, after intense pressure from gun owners around Pennsylvania. It would be the first of two times the anti-rights leaders in the House would try to connect the bill with anti-gun legislation.

Unfortunately, the bill was then held up by the Appropriations Committee who does not support the Second Amendment, and, based upon his attitude and votes on Castle Doctrine, the right to self-defense. He refused all calls from gun owners and fellow lawmakers to release the bill for a vote until his hand was called by the bill’s primary sponsor with the threat of a discharge petition. Only when this petition was facing floor action did Rep. Dwight Evans agree to even allow a vote on the bill in his committee. He held true to his word the following day, September 29, 2010 – more than four months after his committee received it. With the release also came word that members of the House from the Philadelphia area planned to add between six to eight gun control amendments to the unrelated self-defense bill.

When the bill was allowed for second consideration on the House floor, Rep. Sam Smith pulled a procedural motion that limited debate and pointed out that none of the proposed amendments had anything to do with the nature of the bill – self-defense laws, not gun laws. The amendments were temporarily killed, and the legislation received the support of 156 members of the House. The following evening, the House took up the bill again – much to the chagrin of Philadelphia area lawmakers. They stood up to object, and the atmosphere was nearly riotous compared to the normally quiet tones in the chambers. One member shook his cane above his head as he made an impassioned plea to adjourn rather than allowing the pro-rights House members to vote for Castle Doctrine. Others raised their voices and objected to the idea of leaving the chambers simply to avoid a vote on an uncontroversial issue. In the end, the bill passed with even more support from the night before – 159 to 38.

While Rep. Todd Eachus accused the bill’s sponsors of being “heavyhanded” by using procedural moves to demand a swift vote, the better question might be whether the small number of opposing members truly used the heavy-hand by refusing to allow any votes on the bill at all.

Now the bill moves to the Senate, and some press accounts indicate that sources within the chamber plan to move the bill quickly for a vote in the remaining days of the session.

In the meantime, here are how representatives from parts of Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties voted on your right to self-defense:

Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-18) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Bernie O’Neill (R-29) – Yes
Rep. Steve Santarsiero (D-31) – No
Rep. Bob Godshall (R-53) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Kate Harper (R-61) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Matt Bradford (D-70) – Yes
Rep. John Galloway (D-140) – Yes (on earlier votes, absent for the final vote)
Rep. Frank Farry (R-142) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Marguerite Quinn (R-143) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Katherine Watson (R-144) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Paul Clymer (R-145) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Thomas Quigly (R-146) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Marcy Toepel (R-147) – Yes
Rep. Mike Gerber (D-148) – No
Rep. Rick Taylor (D-151) – No
Rep. Thomas Murt (R-152) – Yes
Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-153) – Yes
Rep. Larry Curry (D-154) – Yes (final passage only, opposed on earlier votes)
Rep. Dennis O’Brien (R-169) – No
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-170) – Yes
Rep. John Perzel (R-172) – Yes (on earlier votes, absent for final), Co-Sponsor
Rep. Mike McGeehan (D-173) – No
Rep. John Sabatina (D-174) – No
Rep. Michael O’Brien (D-175) – No
Rep. John Taylor (R-177) – Yes
Rep. Scott Petri (R-178) – Yes, Co-Sponsor
Rep. Tony Payton (D-179) – No
Rep. Mark Cohen (D-202) – No
Rep. Dwight Evans (D-203) – No

You can learn more about the opponents running against those who voted against us on our candidates page.

The actual House Bill is HB40. Look over it, it’s a pretty standard type bill. The major provisions are:

• Eliminates the duty to retreat within one’s home, including attached structures like porches, decks and patios. Exception for people who are using their property to further a criminal activity, so if someone is running a grow operation, and shoots someone breaking in to steal some pot, they can’t claim castle doctrine. Also applies to vehicles, including non-motorized vehicles.
• Eliminates the duty to retreat on the streets provided you are in fear of grave bodily injury or harm, and provided you are not engaged in criminal activity. Criminal activity is this instance is narrowly defined as to not include things like spitting on the sidewalk. If you’re a drug dealer, you won’t be able to claim castle doctrine if you end up in a gunfight with a rival.
• Clarifies the definition of loaded firearm to include magazines being secured in a separate pouch, rather than specifying a separate container, provided the magazine is secure, and the ammunition covered. This means you only need one range bag, provided it has a place to secure the magazines.
• Provides for civil immunity for actions that are ruled self-defense. If the perpetrator sues anyway, it’s a loser pays system, so you can recover attorneys fees. There is no civil liability immunity if you accidentally hit a bystander, so this is not absolute.

To there you have it. Contact the representatives below, especially if you live in one of their districts. No doubt there will be a lot of huffing and puffing by politicians, interest groups, and the media about the world will end if this passes. Many of them will never read the bill, or just have an agenda. But I have read it, and will continue to report.

If you aren’t sure who your representative is, please search here. Call, e-mail, tweet, or even leave a note on their Facebook walls – just make sure your voice is heard!

State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone (D-127) – (717) 787-3525 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Deberah Kula (D-52) – (717) 772-1858 or e-mail her here

State Rep. Kathy Manderino (D-194) – (717) 787-1254 or e-mail her here

State Rep. John Pallone (D-54) – (717) 783-1819 or e-mail him here
Find Rep. Pallone on Facebook!

State Rep. Don Walko (D-20) – (717) 787-5470 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Joseph Brennan (D-133) – (717) 772-9902 or e-mail him here

State Rep. James Casorio (D-56) – (717) 783-3483 or e-mail him here
Send @RepCasorio a message on Twitter!

State Rep. Paul Drucker (D-157) – (717) 705-2003 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Bryan Lentz (D-161) – (717) 787-8574 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Joseph Petrarca (D-55) – (717) 787-5142 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-153) – (717) 783-7619 or e-mail him here
Follow @josh_shapiro on Twitter! Find Rep. Shapiro on Facebook & follow his Facebook group.

State Rep. Greg Vitali (D-166) – (717) 787-7647 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Chelsa Wagner (D-22) – (717) 783-1582 or e-mail her here

State Rep. Ronald Waters (D-191) – (717) 772-9850 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) – (717) 783-6437 or e-mail him here
Follow @jessewhite46 on Twitter and find Rep. White on Facebook!

State Rep. Ron Marsico (R-105) – (717) 783-2014 or e-mail him here
Find Rep. Marsico on Facebook!

State Rep. Mike Vereb (R-150) – (717) 705-7164 or e-mail him here
Follow @RepVereb on Twitter! Also find him on Facebook here and here, and check out his pages here and here.

State Rep. Tom Creighton (R-37) – (717) 772-5290 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Will Gabig (R-199) – (717) 772-2280 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Dick Stevenson (R-8) – (717) 783-6438 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Glen Grell (R-87) – (717) 783-2063 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Kate Harper (R-61) – (717) 787-2801 or e-mail here here
Find Rep. Harper on Facebook!

State Rep. Tim Krieger (R-57) – (717) 260-6146 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Bernie O’Neill (R-29) – (717) 705-7170 or e-mail him here
Find Rep. O’Neill on Facebook or join his group!

State Rep. Todd Rock (R-90) – (717) 783-5218 or e-mail him here

State Rep. Katie True (R-41) – (717) 705-7161 or e-mail her here