Pennsylvania Gun Rights » Mark Critz

PA Lawmakers on National Concealed Carry

EVC PA-13 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:17:25 +0000

We’re counting down to the House vote on the issue of national concealed carry license reciprocity this afternoon, and some folks may wonder how Pennsylvania’s lawmakers have been on the issue.

Back in April, we covered the bill shortly after it was introduced. At the time, we could proudly pat nine House members from the Commonwealth on the back for their support of the bill. Since then, more came on to co-sponsor, including Reps. Mike Fitzpatrick, Lou Barletta, and Tom Marino.

Based on a rule vote yesterday, it appears that the majority of the Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to support the bill.

These lawmakers deserve our thanks for their support in the vote:

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-3)
Rep. Jason Altmire (D-4)
Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-5)
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-6)
Rep. Pat Meehan (R-7)
Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-8)
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-9)
Rep. Tom Marino (R-10)
Rep. Lou Barletta (R-11)
Rep. Mark Critz (D-12)
Rep. Charlie Dent (D-15)
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-16)
Rep. Tim Holden (D-17)
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-18)
Rep. Todd Platts (R-19)

These are the lawmakers who voted against us on the rule:

Rep. Bob Brady (D-1)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-2)
Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-13)
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-14)

Getting on Board with National Reciprocity

EVC PA-13 — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 17:18:52 +0000

From NRA-ILA:

Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) have introduced vital legislation that will enable millions of permit holders to exercise their right to self-defense while traveling outside their home states.

There are now only two states that have no clear legal way for individuals to carry concealed firearms for self-defense. Thirty-nine states have shall-issue permit systems that make it possible for any law-abiding person to obtain a permit, while most of the others have discretionary permit systems.

H.R. 822 would make a major step forward for gun owners’ rights by significantly expanding where those permits are recognized.

Dozens of states have passed carry laws over the past 25 years because the right to self-defense does not end when one leaves home. However, interstate recognition of those permits is not uniform and creates great confusion and potential problems for the traveler. While many states have broad reciprocity, others have very restrictive reciprocity laws. Still others deny recognition completely.

H.R. 822 would solve this problem by requiring that lawfully issued carry permits be recognized, while protecting the ability of the various states to determine the areas where carrying is prohibited. The bill would not create a federal licensing system; rather, it would require the states to recognize each others’ carry permits, just as they recognize drivers’ licenses and carry permits held by armored car guards. Rep. Stearns has introduced similar legislation since 1995.

In the few weeks since its introduction, H.R. 822 has added over 120 cosponsors. Click here to see if your Congressman is a cosponsor. However, more support is needed to make this bill a higher priority.

If your Congressman is not yet a cosponsor, respectfully urge him or her to support the fundamental right to self-defense by becoming a cosponsor of H.R. 822. If your Representative is already a cosponsor, please offer your thanks for his or her support.

These members of Pennsylvania’s delegation have signed on to support the bill as of 4/8/11:

Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.)
Rep. Mark Critz (D-Pa.)
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.)
Rep. Tim Holden (D-Pa.)
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.)
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.)
Rep. Todd Platts (R-Pa.)
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.)
Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.)

Gun Rights Take Stage in Race for PA-12

EVC PA-13 — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:52:57 +0000

With the economy still lagging and contentious issues like health care continuing to divide many districts, not many people expect the Second Amendment to play a huge role in the elections this year. Well, it looks like they are wrong. In PA-12, the former Congressional seat held by the late John Murtha, gun rights have been mentioned by both special election candidates.

The first major mention came from GOP candidate Tim Burns on Twitter earlier this month when he mentioned his Sunday activities that included buying ammunition. Though in PA-12, gun owners know that the Second Amendment isn’t a partisan issue, as evidenced by not only Murtha’s great record on the issue, but also through the tweets of the Democratic candidate. Mark Critz followed up a few days later letting us know that he had plans to stop by a local Friends of the NRA dinner. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it in time, but he did write to us and let us know that he will not miss out on the next one!

But now the pro-gun talk has moved off of Twitter and onto the airwaves. With this first commercial in the race, Burns makes gun rights a top issue:

Click here to view the embedded video.

NRA-ILA has sent questionnaires to candidates around the state, and we look forward to seeing answers from each of the special election candidates and their primary day opponents. At least based on new media antics, it looks like gun owners in Southwest Pennsylvania might have a ballot full of good choices.

Candidates Engaging in Social Media, Part V

EVC PA-13 — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:00:35 +0000

If you want to keep up with what the candidates who seek your vote are doing on the campaign trail, you can keep up with many on social media. Here are a few of the federal candidates on your favorite social networking sites:

District 12
Tim Burns, Republican

Bill Russell, Republican

Mark Critz, Democrat

Ryan Bucchianeri, Democrat

Ron Mackell, Democrat

Twitter – @RonMackell4Rep
Facebook

District 13
Dee Adcock, Republican

Josh Quinter, Republican

Brian Haughton, Republican

District 15
Charlie Dent, Republican

John Callahan, Democrat

District 16
Joe Pitts, Republican

Lois Herr, Democrat

Twitter – @herr2010
Facebook

We’ll feature more candidates in the future.

Challengers in 2010

EVC PA-13 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:20:52 +0000

With the final deadline for filing petitions to be on the ballot for the May primary having passed yesterday at 5pm, we saw only a few changes in who will run last night. However, this morning, the scene is already changing.

In the race for governor, four Democrats and two Republicans made it on the ballot successfully. On the Democratic side, we’ve covered their positions on gun control before, except for Sen. Tony Williams who was not in the race at the time. His last NRA rating was D – hardly a friend to the Second Amendment in Pennsylvania.

In the category of Lieutenant Governor, there was only one noteworthy surprise. State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe filed rather unexpectedly for the office on the Republican side. Both Democrats and Republicans have already endorsed in the race, and that support usually brings with it access to party support. This morning, Rep. Metcalfe is expected to formally launch his bid for Lt. Gov. at the State Capitol today. While Rep. Metcalfe has been a dedicated friend to gun owners, with the late start, a general lack of name recognition statewide to the broader electorate, and lack of a party endorsement, his campaign will likely be an uphill battle. That might explain why he has also filed paperwork to run for his state house seat again at the same time.

In Congress, the competitive races fill up pages on the candidate list. Consider that the race to oust Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper includes a two-way primary on the Democratic side and a six-way competition on the Republican side. Over in the Southwest, the competition to take former Rep. John Murtha’s seat has a new set of twists and turns. After Mark Critz won his party’s support for the special election to fill the rest of the term, former Treasurer Barbara Hafer announced she would still challenge him in the primary for the election in November. However, after filing the paperwork last night to be on the ballot, she has already dropped out this morning. Regardless, that still leaves a four-way race for the Democratic nomination and two-way competition for the GOP nomination in the 12th District.

In PA-8, Rep. Patrick Murphy has lined up four Republican challengers, two of whom have been recognized by the NRCC for meeting high campaign benchmarks. In PA-13, the quest to unseat Rep. Allyson Schwartz has three GOP candidates on the ballot. The two counties comprising the district split on their endorsements and a third candidate stayed in the race to take advantage of the split. In PA-19, Rep. Todd Platts has challengers on both tickets, but he is expected to keep the seat.

Though some seats are considered extremely safe based on general popularity of the incumbent or makeup of the local electorate, it is noteworthy that only one Congressional seat has no challengers at all this year – that is PA-9 represented by Rep. Bill Shuster.

In the state house, there are few surprises. We’ve covered the retirements fairly thoroughly. And we’ll try to do a detailed breakdown for each area soon. But, a quick check shows that some of our friends aren’t being challenged while others are. The seats with the most names on the ballot are House districts 194, 195 and 199 and Senate district 22. The first two each have seven Democrats and a single Republican while the latter House district has seven Republicans and one Democrat. The Senate district also has seven Democrats with one lone Republican.

Congressional Races Heating Up

EVC PA-13 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:25:07 +0000

We’ve been fortunate with Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation in that gun rights are typically respected by members of both parties (exceptions exist, obviously), so a tide of anti-incumbent attitude among the electorate could have a serious impact on the issues we care about.

Right now, eyes are focused on PA-12. Deceased Congressman John Murtha was a dedicated advocate for the Second Amendment, and many of his possible replacements are unknowns. Last weekend, local Democratic activists selected longtime aide Mark Critz to run for the special election to complete the term, and they will likely back him during the primary election to be held the same day. However, the Democratic state committee is expected to meet today to issue the formal endorsement for the special election seat, and that may not be Critz. Though he has local support, the state officials may opt for someone else to appear on the ballot with local support.

On the Republican side, local party leaders will meet on Thursday to select a candidate for the special election, and presumably give party support for the primary election. Unlike the Democratic Party, the state leaders in the GOP cannot override the local decision.

Beyond the the southwest corner, there are other races heating up. PoliticsPA has started a new feature to examine the competitiveness of various Congressional races each month. The race for PA-12 is considered only the fourth most competitive race. Their predicted hotbed of activity? PA-7, the seat vacated by Congressman Joe Sestak.

For known incumbents, gun owners in PA-11 will have their hands full with the race featuring pro-gun Congressman Paul Kanjorski. Early polling indicates he is very weak and may be defeated. Up in the northwest corner, Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper will face a big challenge. In a record year for Democrats in 2008, she just squeezed out a 7,000 vote victory over the incumbent representative. This year may be the best chance to oust this F-rated freshman in PA-3.

At little closer to the Southeast, we have the 7th, 8th, and 9th most competitive races with PA-15 (pro-gun Congressman Charlie Dent), PA-8 (with leaning anti-gun Congressman Patrick Murphy), and PA-6 (with pro-gun Congressman Jim Gerlach). These are vital races for Pennsylvania gun owners, and we need to turn out long before election day to make sure the right men and women take office.

While most campaigns are wrapping up their signature collection efforts, there are still plenty of activities for those looking to give a little of their time in support of the Second Amendment. If you want to help out, just contact us and we’ll let you know what is going on in your area.

UPDATE: The Democratic Party has formally selected Mark Critz to run in the special election on May 18 to fulfill the rest of his boss’s term. It is expected that he will have challengers for the other election that day – the primary election for the regular November election.

The Future of PA-12 for Gun Owners

EVC PA-13 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:40:39 +0000

The sudden passing of Congressman Jack Murtha leaves his district suddenly in play for both major parties. Names were immediately thrown in the ring, but how have each of these candidates been on the Second Amendment? A friend like Rep. Murtha, or a foe?

Though some may wonder why the political game is starting in high gear so soon after his passing, it’s mainly due to unfortunate timelines in Pennsylvania’s election laws. The governor must declare a date for a special election within 10 days that takes place at least 60 days out from the announcement. Though he has not made an official statement, it is expected that Gov. Rendell will opt to schedule it on the same day as primary elections – May 18.

This sets up an interesting election for voters in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District. Party officials will have to decide on the candidates who run in the special election. Due to the approaching deadlines for filing needed paperwork, it is expected that these decisions will be made quickly. However, because the seat would have been up for grabs in November anyway, there still needs to be a primary election for the regularly scheduled November race. In effect, voters will elect someone to fill the seat and vote for the same candidate in their respective primary races. The candidates will have two campaigns to run this year.

Based on reports from political reporters, here are some of the names that have been dropped from each party and candidates who were previously planning a run at the seat:

Democrat
~~Mark Singel – Previously A- rated in 1990, though his final NRA rating could not be quickly located.~~
~~Sen. John Wozniak – A rated~~
Sen. Richard Kasunic – A+ rated
Ron Mackell Jr. – unknown
Ryan Buccianeri – unknown
Bracken Burns – unknown
Vince Zapotosky – unknown
Barbara Hafer – Previously A rated in 1990, though her final NRA rating could not be quickly located.
Tom Ceraso – unknown
~~Joyce Murtha – unknown~~
Ed Cernic – unknown
Mark Critz – unknown

Republican
Bill Russell – A rated
~~Sen. Kim Ward – A rated~~
~~Rep. Dave Reed – A rated~~
~~Rep. Jeff Pyle – A+ rated~~
~~Diana Irey – A rated~~
Tim Burns – unknown
Mark Pasquerilla – unknown

Political observers have now reclassified this seat as a toss-up.

UPDATE: PoliticsPA has specifics on how candidates from each party must be chosen:

Party rules for Democrats and Republicans will determine how the special election candidate is selected. For Republicans, each county committee in the district will be assigned a certain number of conferees to send to the selection meeting. The conferees will vote to decide who becomes the party’s candidate.

For Democrats, the county committees in the 12th Districts will meet to recommend a candidate to the state party’s 50-member executive committee. The executive committee, comprising members from across Pennsylvania, will decide whether to endorse a candidate.

They also report on more names in the running that have been added to the lists.