Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Pennsylvania Aims To Be 26th State With Castle Doctrine...

The state House of Representatives voted last Tuesday for a bill to expand the legal use of deadly force in self-defense of individuals and their property.

The so-called “Castle Doctrine” - H.B. 40 - would expand current state law to allow individuals to use deadly force against an intruder, even if the intruder does not first threaten bodily harm to the individual. The bill passed with large bipartisan support, 158-39, and is headed to the state Senate for consideration.

“There is nothing more important than the basic right of law-abiding citizens to be able to defend themselves, their families and their property from the imminent threats of criminals who seek to cause devastating or fatal bodily harm,” said state Rep. Scott Perry, R-York, the sponsor of the bill.

Asked Wednesday if he would sign the bill, Gov. Ed Rendell said he would wait to see the final version before making a determination.

And there's the fly in the ointment. Rendell is hot to trot for a new assault weapons ban, and that pretty much is all you need to know about where he stands on certain civil rights. Still and all, there might be enough votes to override his veto so stay tuned.

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