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NEPA has mixed reactions on closure of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’

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Knox Mine Disaster recalled during traditional coal miner’s dinner

<p>HARRISBURG &#8212; If the sentiment expressed during Sunday&#8217;s public comment session with the Pennsylvania Game Commission board is any indication, then there isn&#8217;t very much opposition to a proposal to allow semi-automatic rifles for hunting.</p><p>The board began its three-day quarterly meeting listening to the public speak on a range of topics, from pheasant hunting to deer. Twenty-six people signed up to speak, and several voiced their support for allowing semi-automatic rifles to be used for small and big game hunting. No one voiced an objection.</p><p>The board will vote on Tuesday whether or not to allow semi-automatic rifles to be used to hunt small game, varmints, fall turkeys, bear, elk and deer. The move comes roughly two months after Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law legislation that gives the PGC the authority to implement the use of semi-automatic rifles for any species and season it sees fit.</p><p>Those speaking in favor of the proposal said semi-automatic rifles don&#8217;t pose any additional safety risk when it comes to hunting, and surrounding states allow them without any issues.</p><p>&#8220;This isn&#8217;t new technology,&#8221; said Christopher Strom, who told the board he&#8217;s hunted with semi-automatic rifles in other states. &#8220;I do plan on getting my hunting license if we&#8217;re allowed to use them for large game.&#8221;</p><p>Currently, hunters can use manually-operated rifles, such as those with bolt, pump or lever actions, for big game such as deer. Semi-automatic rifles require just a squeeze of the trigger to discharge a round.</p><p>&#8220;The self-loading feature does not contribute to more or less dangerous handling,&#8221; said Scott Baer, who added shot placement and bullet type are the keys to a safe, ethical harvest.</p><p>&#8220;Education is the key. Not regulation.&#8221;</p><p>According to the board&#8217;s agenda for Tuesday, proposals to allow the use of semi-automatics includes rifles and not handguns. For small game such as squirrels and rabbits, semi-automatic rifles would be limited to .22 caliber, while for big game the magazine capacity would be limited to five rounds.</p><p>Nearly all those who spoke in favor of allowing semi-automatic rifles for big game were against the five-round limit.</p><p>Paul Marshall Jr., who told the board he is a National Rifle Association-certified firearms instructor, said the number of rounds has no bearing on someone doing something illegal or unethical.</p><p>Barry Becker of Potter County agreed, and added it&#8217;s difficult to find five-round magazines for certain models of semi-automatic rifles.</p><p>Becker said a 10-round limit would suffice because magazines with that capacity are common for most rifles. He added that many rifles, such as lever actions, can hold more than five rounds as well.</p><p>&#8220;This has nothing to do with safety. Safety comes with the pull of the trigger,&#8221; Becker said, adding that the move would appeal to service members who hunt.</p><p>&#8220;They&#8217;ve used these models in the military, they&#8217;re familiar with them and I&#8217;m sure they&#8217;d like to use them for hunting,&#8221; he said.</p><p>One season not included in the proposal is spring gobbler. Semi-automatic shotguns are allowed for spring gobbler season while rifles are not.</p><p>The PGC board will hold another round of public comment on Monday morning followed by staff reports, and will take up the agenda on Tuesday beginning at 8:30 a.m. If the semi-automatic rifle language is passed, it would still need final approval at the board&#8217;s April meeting.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Paul Scavone, owner of JS Sporting Goods in Wilkes-Barre Township, holds a semi-automatic rifle in his gun shop earlier this month. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_TTL011917gun1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Paul Scavone, owner of JS Sporting Goods in Wilkes-Barre Township, holds a semi-automatic rifle in his gun shop earlier this month. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>WHAT&#8217;S THE DIFFERENCE? </strong></p><p>A semi-automatic rifle is one that fires a round with each pull of the trigger. As a round is fired, a new round is automatically loaded into the chamber but is not discharged until the trigger is pulled.</p><p>An automatic firearm continues to discharge rounds as long as the trigger is pulled. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is not considering the use of automatic firearms for hunting.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TomVenesky.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Semi-automatic rifle proposal supported at Game Commission’s comment session