Pennsylvania Moves Toward “Preemption With Teeth”

Cities like Pittsburgh, PA have long been attempting to ignore their own state's preemption law on firearms.

We have seen anti-gun cities play the same games for years. They pass unconstitutional local gun ordinances and ignore state law. This ends up forcing us gun owners into expensive court battles. Their plan is to hope that either nobody has the time or money to fight back or they can financially drain pro-gun organizations. Now Pennsylvania lawmakers are trying to put an end to that.

Pennsylvania’s Senate Local Government Committee has advanced SB 822 in a 7-3 vote, moving the bill one step closer to becoming law. The purpose of this is not just another procedural bill, but an attempt to give state preemption law actual teeth.

What Is Firearm Preemption?

Pennsylvania already has a state preemption law on the books. This simply means cities and local governments are NOT supposed to create their own gun laws. The purpose of this is to ensure that firearm regulations are supposed to remain consistent statewide. This helps citizens understand what is legal and illegal.

However, we have seen in recent years cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh repeatedly push local gun control ordinances anyway. This is the constant attacks Pennsylvania gun owners are under. This is where we here at 2 If By Sea Tactical have an issue, these local officials continue to pass illegal ordnances while facing zero consequences.

It just creates this vicious cycle where both taxpayers and gun owners are the ones hurt. The cycle is always cities pass the laws in violation of state law, gun owners are forced into court, and both gun owners and taxpayer money gets burned on litigation. Meanwhile, these laws are often pushed by billionaire Michael Bloomberg-backed organizations.

What SB 822 Does

This bill is designed to end that cycle. If passed, SB 822 would put the burden on the cities to recover damages if a city passes an illegal ordinance and loses in court. That means that the municipality pays damages and attorney fees instead of outside interests.

This gives citizens the protection by allowing them to recover the cost if someone is charged under an unlawful ordinance and later acquitted. This bill also allows organizations to sue on behalf of members, thus evening the playing field. That last part matters because it prevents cities from financially exhausting individual gun owners through endless litigation.

This is something that should be replicated across the country and not just done in Pennsylvania. It fights back against a growing trend across America where cities are trying to bypass state law to impose gun control locally. This is something that would have huge implications here in Minnesota as we have seen cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul pass illegal gun control ordinances. Local governments are increasingly acting like preemption laws are optional.

Rights mean nothing without enforcement. What is a state preemption law if cities can violate it without consequence? That is what this bill SB 822 is attempting to fix. This should have all of us gun owners support and we should demand similar bills in all our respective states as well.

The Political Reality

The reality is that Bloomberg-funded organizations  and national gun control groups are pushing and driving these efforts in cities across the nation. They are financially backing candidates and these lawsuits to insulate them from any consequences to their actions.

When elected officials willingly violate state law, they must be held accountable. Bills like this help counter this reality.

What Happens Next

SB 822 now heads toward the full Pennsylvania Senate for consideration. There we hope they will pass it. If passed it could become one of the strongest firearm preemption enforcement laws in the country. We know that other states will be watching.

Here at 2 If By Sea Tactical we strive to bring you the best experience in the firearms world.  As we continue to grow the media arm of 2 If By Sea, make sure you keep tuning in to our Youtube and Rumble channels and right here at “The Patriot’s Almanac” to stay informed on the latest happenings in the firearm world! But we are not lawyers, so this isn't legal guidance. We are proud to be Southern Minnesota source for all things 2A.

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