Onorato Again Slams Corbett On Florida Gun Permit Loophole
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, the Democratic nominee for governor, this morning repeated his demand that state Attorney General Tom Corbett, the Republican nominee, use the power of his office to close the "Florida loophole" that allows Pennsylvania residents to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons from the Florida Department of Agriculture. Onorato, speaking in City Hall, made the same argument he made in the same place three months ago. The difference: Now Onorato can point to a Sept. 12 city homicide where the accused shooter was holding a Florida gun permit.
Onorato Again Slams Corbett On Florida Gun Permit Loophole
Chris Brennan
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, the Democratic nominee for governor, this morning repeated his demand that state Attorney General Tom Corbett, the Republican nominee, use the power of his office to close the "Florida loophole" that allows Pennsylvania residents to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons from the Florida Department of Agriculture. Onorato, speaking in City Hall, made the same argument he made in the same place three months ago. The difference: Now Onorato can point to a Sept. 12 city homicide where the accused shooter was holding a Florida gun permit.
"This is a real problem in Pennsylvania," said Onorato, who was again joined in his news conference by Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. "Tom Corbett is running for governor. If he thinks this was just a 30-second sound-bite in June than he has another think coming."
Corbett's campaign, which in June derided the issue as a "solution in search of a problem," today accused Onorato of not understanding state gun laws while exploiting a homicide to score political points. Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley said if the Attorney General ended a gun permit reciprocity agreement with Florida that state laws here would still require Pennsylvania to recognize a gun permit issued by a state with equal or more stringent requirements as Pennsylvania.
"This is what voters have come to expect from career politician Dan Onorato," Harley said. "He exploits the death of young man and uses it as a political prop. The fact is the Attorney General cannot unilaterally change the laws of Pennsylvania. Only the legislature can do that."
State Rep. Bryan Lentz, a Delaware County Democrat, has a bill pending in the state House to change that law. Harley said Corbett does not support it and "thinks the Pennsylvania law the way it is now is appropriate."
Plugh I think you are confused, what psych records? They arent checked when you apply for a gun permit if that is what you're implying. There is no loophole. I have no idea why people keep saying that. Philly is the problem. There is this neat little list on the back of your permit application that lists all the reasons you can be denied. There are quite a few. Multiple arrests without conviction isnt on there. Neither is unpaid parking tickets or unpaid child support. Yet people are being denied for those reasons unlawfully. So one way around Philly's unlawful actions are to get an out of state permit. Florida's is much harder to get. When I got mine I was out the door in ten minutes with it in my hand. Florida's requires fingerprinting and a gun safety course. Neither of which Pa requires.
Let me say it another way. If you apply for a Pa permit and are denied, then apply for a Florida permit and get it, Pa broke the law. Florida denies for the same reasons Pa does. There is no loophole.
Also to reply to what another said, why get an out of state permit? Maybe I want to go to Florida. Your rights exist there too but you wish to do it lawfully so you must have a permit with reciprocity, or get a permit in that state.— YllwFvr
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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