Florida gun loophole becomes a political football

District Attorney Seth Williams and Democratic candidate for governor Dan Onorato joined together Monday to make a public call to halt the so called “Florida gun loophole,” a state law that allows other states permits to be issued to Pa. residents even when local permits are denied to the same residents.

Philadelphia’s district attorney joined with a candidate for governor Monday to call for closing a loophole that lets some people use out-of-state permits to carry a concealed weapon inside Pennsylvania. The event was about politics as well as policy.

City district attorney, Seth Williams, stood with Democratic candidate for governor Dan Onorato to call for elimination of the so-called Florida loophole.  Williams says Florida makes it too easy to acquire a permit. A man was killed in Philadelphia recently by a man holding a Florida permit.

“A young life was lost because a man, who could not get a license as a result of his contact with police, got a license on line or however you get it with the Florida Bureau of Agriculture and shot a young man,” Williams says.

Williams and Onorato called upon state Attorney General Tom Corbett to close the loophole. Corbett, of course, is running for governor against Onorato.

Kevin Harley, a spokesman for Tom Corbett’s campaign, said the attorney general doesn’t have the power to end the loophole.

“The Attorney General of Pennsylvania cannot unilaterally change the laws of Pennsylvania.  In order for that provision to be changed, it must be done by the Pennsylvania legislature.”