Frequently Heard Excuses

Paythia, As we work hard in PA to grow support for expanding background checks to all gun sales, a few things keep coming up. Some legislators tell us they support the bill but are hesitant to cosponsor. The problem is, the reasons they give don't make sense.  We bet you're hearing some of these excuses too. We're sending along a little civics lesson to help you out. Here's a list of frequently heard excuses (FHE) and how to respond. FHE1:  I don't like to cosponsor bills that could be amended. Response: Any bill can be amended. That's part of the legislative process. If that process results in a bill you can no longer support, you vote no and we would understand that.  It could result in a bill we wouldn't support either. FHE2: It doesn't matter how many cosponsors a bill has. Response: Getting more cosponsors demonstrates to the Judiciary Committee chairs that this is widely supported bill that should be brought to a vote. FHE3: I will vote for the bill, but I don't want to cosponsor it. Response: We appreciate the support and will count on your vote, but without more support now, we might not get that far. We need to show broad and wide support NOW, and we do that with a growing cosponsor list. The truth is, the only way to show support for expanding the PA background check system right now is to get on this bill. That's what Pennsylvanians are looking for. Over the coming days and weeks we’ll need your help to make sure your representative joins us to make Pennsylvania a safer place.