ROBIN SKIBBER

What is one piece of legislation you want to pass in office? How will it serve your constituents? 

 

I want to pass common-sense gun reforms to stem the tide of gun violence in our schools and communities. Gun violence is the #1 cause of death for school-aged children in the U.S.  Many die due to carelessly-secured weapons in the home.  Youth and others struggling with mental illness commit suicide at a much higher rate when a gun is easily available.

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I come from a family of hunters in Blooming Grove and I respect the 2nd Amendment.  But I also believe in protecting our children and those at risk. When a young, troubled relative of mine used a gun to end his life, it was a shock to our entire family. I learned that more than half of the gun-related deaths in Pennsylvania are suicides and that there are some simple steps we can take that will protect people and not infringe on the 2nd Amendment.

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First is the passage of a “red flag” law, also known as an “extreme risk protection order” (ERPO) to allow judges to order the temporary confiscation of a person’s firearms if they are a danger to themselves or others. Family or law enforcement can petition for a such an order, based on specified criteria. 

 

Filing false or frivolous ERPOs would be punishable. Passed by the Democratic-controlled House, the bill remains in limbo in the Republican-controlled Senate stuck in the powerful jaws of the gun lobby.  Pennsylvania should join the 21 other states and D.C. that have red flag laws.

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If elected, I will also draft a bill to implement Donna’s Law, groundbreaking new suicide prevention legislation, that has become law in Virginia, Washington, Delaware and Utah.   Donna’s Law allows people who know they are at risk of serious depression or suicidal ideation to, when they are thinking clearly, put themselves on a voluntary, confidential self-registry to prevent their impulsive purchase of a gun.  

 

Many suicides are impulsive spur-of-the-moment decisions; a delay in or the inability to access a gun will save lives.  Registering with Donna’s Law can be revoked if the person so chooses.  It seeks to help people through a crisis – not to control their lives.

 

We need political leadership with the courage to stand up for common-sense measures to reduce gun violence; protect women’s reproductive rights and marriage equality; support seniors and veterans; and protect our environment.  That’s the legislator I want to be.