June 25 – Well, the radar bill has moved out of the Senate and is on its way for reconciliation in the House in Harrisburg.
This would put radar guns in the hands of local municipal law enforcement – something that hasn’t been in Pennsylvania…well, ever.
And we’re the only state in the nation that doesn’t allow it.
Attorney Clint Barkdoll, Pat Ryan and Michele Jansen talked about the bill this morning on First News.
Barkdoll said, “As we know for decades it seems like this issue comes up, it will pass one House, either the House or the Senate, and then it fails in the other House and it’s never been clear why this can’t get past the finish line. It has now passed again. We’ll see if they can reconcile it. There’s going to be a flurry of activity over the next few days because assuming that a state budget gets passed, everything kind of shuts down next Wednesday. June 30 is the end of the fiscal year so whether this is one of the things that they can get reconciled and to the governor’s desk between now and next Wednesday remains to be seen. Everyone you talk to in the public says of course we should have this. It makes no sense that we’re the only state in the country where municipal police cannot use radar but it’s always been a mystery why can’t the House and Senate come together on this to get it done?”
Ryan asked, “What do I need to do then? What’s my role in this?”
Barkdoll said, “Call your local Rep, your local Senator.”
Ryan also wondered, “Do I know who’s voted against it in the past and call up and go here, let me just put a camera on downtown Chambersburg. I’ll live stream it for you so you can see the s-show that is on South Main Street.”
Barkdoll said, “That information would be out there and if we learn going into Monday, for example, that someone is tying this up again, we need to find out who is it? Who is it in the House or the Senate that’s tying this up? The public needs to reach out to that person and put pressure, as should the police departments and the borough councils and the township supervisors that all want this. They need to turn up the heat on these people in Harrisburg. Get this done. It’s crazy that we’re the only state in the country that doesn’t have this.”
Ryan said, “The borough council is too worried about LGBTQ borough law stuff. They certainly don’t want to worry about what’s happening in downtown Chambersburg.”
Jansen said, “It’s going into the Transportation with Tim Hennessey which is the guy who’s held it up before and not allowed it for a vote. So it’s all up to him to allow the stuff to move forward in the Transportation Committee.”
Hennessey is a Representative from Pottstown.
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Let’s hope he does the right thing THIS time.
