Wolf calls for tougher gun laws after synagogue shooting
Gov. Tom Wolf is renewing his call for lawmakers to pass legislation expanding background checks on firearms in Pennsylvania and end an exception for shotguns, sporting rifles and semi-automatic rifles that are sold at gun shows
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Tom Wolf is renewing his call for lawmakers to toughen Pennsylvania's gun laws, after a truck driver walked into a Pittsburgh synagogue and fatally shot 11 people.
The Democratic governor spoke Tuesday at an anti-gun violence rally in the Capitol. He was joined by the ex-wife of a man badly wounded in Oct. 27's synagogue shooting and a trauma surgeon who helped treat the victims.
The Republican-controlled Legislature last year passed legislation forcing people in Pennsylvania with a domestic violence ruling against them to more quickly surrender their guns.
However, the Legislature has long resisted gun-control measures, such as expanding background checks.
The House's Republican majority leader, Bryan Cutler, says Pennsylvania already has fairly comprehensive background checks and says policymakers instead might find agreement on mental health interventions.
___
This story has been corrected to show that Wolf was joined by the ex-wife, not the wife, of a man wounded in the synagogue shooting.