Welcome to the June 12, 2018, issue of "Newtown News Update." The opinions expressed here are solely the those of John Mack and do not reflect the opinions of any other person or entity. If you are not a subscriber, please subscribe here. If you are a subscriber and do not wish to receive further updates, please use the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this email.

Newtown Township Supervisors to Consider "Gun Safety" Resolution

At the May 23, 2018, Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, Supervisor Linda Bobrin announced that she drafted a gun resolution based on a resolution enacted by Solebury Township and under consideration by Yardley Borough.

On June 11, 2018, Yardley’s gun safety resolution received “yes” votes from four council members, with two members abstaining and one member absent from the meeting (more...). New Hope passed a similar gun resolutions in 2016, while Lower Makefield and Middletown discussed but did not pass resolutions in previous years.

The Yardley resolution urges the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the United States Congress to enact laws to reduce gun violence, including:

1. Preventing known and suspected terrorists, those convicted of violent hate crimes and those with a history of domestic abuse from legally buying guns;
2. Ensuring that background checks are required on all gun sales, including online and at gun shows. In Pennsylvania, preserve the provisions of the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) which provides instant access to background records;
3. Funding research into the effects of gun violence and gun safety technology;
4. Requiring trigger locks on all firearms in homes where children are present;
5. Requiring lost or stolen firearms be reported to law enforcement within 72-hours of the discovery of loss or theft;
6. Banning access to bump-stocks;
7. Banning access to assault-style rifles;
8. Reducing the number of permissible cartridges in a clip or magazine.

Ms. Bobrin believes that approving the resolution would support legislators in Harrisburg and Washington D.C. who are working for gun reform. The resolution will be considered by the Newtown Board of Supervisors on June 13, 2018 (find the agenda here).

Newtown Supervisor John Mack will be making comments at the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Meeting, Wednesday, June 13, 2018, at 10:30 AM, West Trenton Volunteer Fire Company, 40 West Upper Ferry Road, West Trenton, NJ 0862.

Mack will present a summary of Newtown Township Resolution 2018-R-10, which calls upon the DRBC to “enact a complete and permanent ban on natural gas development and hydraulic fracturing and all related activities (including drilling, fracking, wastewater processing and discharges from and water withdrawals for drilling and fracking operations) throughout the basin.”

The intent of the Newtown BOS was to have this resolution submitted to the DRBC before the March 30, 2018, deadline for it to appear in the comments docket. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up it was not submitted until June 2.

Although there will be no opportunity for additional public comment for the record at the June 13 Business Meeting on items for which a hearing was completed on May 16 or a previous date, Mr. Mack hopes the DRBC will approve his request to include Newtown Township's anti-fracking resolution in the DRBC comments docket.