State’s Leading Gun Violence Prevention Group Also Endorses 11 PA Senate Candidates for 2024 Election
Philadelphia, PA—Three life-saving bills failed by a single vote in the PA House of Representatives this session – continuing the proliferation of homemade machine guns and depriving law enforcement of tools to fight gun trafficking. With lives on the line, CeaseFirePA PAC is announcing their largest-ever electoral investment to expand the gun safety majority – and hold accountable the legislators who endangered Pennsylvanians’ lives with their fatal votes.
The Pennsylvania gun violence prevention organization’s electoral arm will focus on educating voters about how two PA House candidates are well-positioned to flip their seats and expand the slim gun safety majority. Hadley Haas in House District 44 and Elizabeth Moro in House District 160 are two strong candidates who prioritize gun violence prevention. They are challenging incumbent Representatives in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia suburbs, respectively, who have failing grades on their gun safety votes this session – even recently voting against law enforcement’s recommendations.
“We are making our biggest election investment ever because with life-saving solutions on deck in Harrisburg, who we send to work in the State Capitol is an urgent matter of life and death,” said Adam Garber, CeaseFirePA PAC’s Executive Director. “CeaseFirePA PAC’s six-figure investments in support of Hadley Haas and Elizabeth Moro for PA State Representative will be key to educating and mobilizing voters in these districts about the deadly serious choice they face on November 5th. We’ll be urging them to reject their incumbent Representatives, who have voted to let gun violence remain the #1 killer of Pennsylvania children and opposed law enforcement-backed policies to improve public safety. Voters deserve true champions for safer communities.”
“Gun safety is the issue that got me off of the sidelines and into politics,” said Hadley Haas, candidate in PA House District 44. “I believe all communities deserve to be represented by leaders who value the lives of children more than the interests of gun extremists. I look forward to working with CeaseFirePA to continue to educate voters about the stark contrast between candidates and to win this critical seat.”
“I am tremendously grateful for CeaseFirePA’s efforts to raise awareness and take action to make our communities safer through gun violence prevention, organization, and education,” said Elizabeth Moro, candidate in PA House District 160. “For too long, our current representative has disregarded the concerns of the people of our district. It is time for leadership that truly represents the people, and I look forward to partnering with CeaseFirePA to always put the lives and safety of Pennsylvanians before gun industry extremists.”
CeaseFirePA PAC is also endorsing a slate of PA Senate candidates who will help ensure life-saving gun safety policies get a fair hearing in the Senate and can pass next session. This announcement follows CeaseFirePA’s endorsement of 89 gun safety champions for PA State Representative.
During the current session, six gun safety bills have historically received votes:
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PASSED: Extreme Risk Protection Orders would prevent firearm suicides, which comprise 60% of all gun deaths in Pennsylvania, often in rural communities;
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PASSED: Universal Background Checks close a loophole that allows anyone to buy a long gun, such as the AR-15 used in PA’s 19th mass shooting this year at the Trump rally, without a background check;
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PASSED: Ending ghost guns, which were used in a shooting that killed three in Bucks County, closing down the community;
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FAILED: Stopping the proliferation of machine guns converters, which enabled the shooting of 8 students at a SEPTA bus stop;
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FAILED: Preventing firearm trafficking by modernizing record-keeping systems, which was supported by the PA District Attorneys Association and PA Police Chief Association;
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FAILED: Requiring the reporting of lost or stolen firearms to address straw purchases;
The three passed bills are languishing in the Pennsylvania Senate, which is currently controlled 28-22 by an anti-gun safety majority. Only three seats need to be flipped to create a tie in the Senate, which is broken by the Lieutenant Governor, Austin Davis, who has been an outspoken supporter of gun violence prevention policies.
“It’s unconscionable that these life-saving policies, which are supported by Pennsylvanians, including conservatives and gun owners, are waiting for a hearing in the Senate while families attend more funerals. Candidates ignore gun safety issues at their own political peril,” said Garber.
STATE SENATE ENDORSEMENTS
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District 1: Sen. Nikil Saval
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District 3: Sen. Sharif Street
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District 7: Sen. Vincent Hughes
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District 9: Sen. John Kane
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District 15: Rep. Patty Kim
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District 17: Sen. Amanda Cappelletti
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District 19: Sen. Carolyn Committa
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District 37: Nicole Ruscitto
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District 43: Sen. Jay Costa
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District 45: Rep. Nick Pisciottano
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District 49: Jim Wertz
More information about gun violence in Pennsylvania is available at CeaseFirePA.org.
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As the Commonwealth’s leading gun violence prevention organization, CeaseFirePA works to ensure everyone can live a life free from gun violence. We organize with communities closest to the issue, hold those in power accountable, and maximize the strengths of every member in our broad coalition.
