Action | Promulgation of new regulation banning concealed firearms in executive branch agency offices |
Stage | Emergency/NOIRA |
Comment Period | Ended on 1/27/2016 |
This proposed regulation will have the opposite its stated intended affect by playing into the hands of terrorists, violent criminals, and the criminally insane. We have had no shootings in state agencies and this prohibition on those with a concealed handgun permit, some of whom have active and ongoing threats to their lives, is entirely without any justification and needlessly and recklessly endangers innocent lives.
Disarming good citizens (who are the only ones likely to obey the prohibition) does not make them safer.
Think of the impact this would have on the law abiding citizens of the Commonwealth. A citizen traveling from A to B at night time stops in a rest area on one of our highways. That citizen is not allowed to carry a weapon for their own protection into this almost abandoned building. The Police are no where near by as many of these stops are established in areas that do not have commercial facilities available. Who is going to keep that citizen safe? Consider a woman with a restraining order who is going to a register her vehicle, or change her drivers license to finally get away from her abusive spouse. While there may be an armed guard in the building, even their response time is slower than the time it takes for her spouse to illegally enter the property armed and take her life. This regulation prevents her, or another law abiding citizen, from protecting her from a very real threat.
This regulation further disarms off-duty police officers, and other federal agents not currently performing their duties therefore reducing the number of available citizens to respond to prevent a tragedy.
Finally, I question the Governors and DGS legal authority to even enact this regulation. There is no basis for it in the Constitution of the Commonwealth, there is no legislative authority granted to the Governor to strip citizens of a right guaranteed in both the US and Commonwealths Constitution.
This regulations should not be approved and the emergency regulation withdrawn.
Please extended the comment period for another 30 days.