Some items included in Democrat Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget have gun-rights activists crying foul.
Pennsylvania representatives with Gun Owners of America (GOA) are calling attention to two particular items in the budget, the first being a proposed $1 million to fund an Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Pennsylvania Commission for Crime and Delinquency.
“This office would be nothing more than a propaganda machine to justify more calls for gun control through legislative advocacy,” Dr. Val Finnell, PA-GOA director, wrote in a state alert.
“Once again, Governor Shapiro is trying to assault your Article 1, Section 21 rights in his proposed 2026-2027 Pennsylvania budget.”
The other proposal Dr. Finnell pointed out in the alert is doubling the funding for the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) to $8.9 million, which would likely result in expanded bureaucracy that would quickly outpace the funding.
“The PICS budget increase could lead to higher costs passed on to gun owners through fees and taxes such as the unconstitutional $2 fee for every PICS check and the $3 tax on the purchase of new firearms,” Dr. Finnell wrote. “Instead of increasing funding to the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) for PICS, the Pennsylvania General Assembly should eliminate funding for the PICS “Record of Sale” system entirely. This system creates an illegal handgun registry through use of the ‘Firearm Application/Record of Sale’ form (SP4-113).”
As Dr. Finnell pointed out, without appropriated funds, the PSP cannot continue their handgun registration scheme, ending this unconstitutional infringement on your God-given rights.
“That’s why I need gun owners like you to send a message to your state representative and senator (by using the form above), demanding that they slash funding for Governor Shapiro’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and to zero-line the “Record of Sale” handgun registry,” he wrote. “Let’s slash gun control from Shapiro’s budget!”
In the state alert, GOA provides members from the Keystone State with a form that they can sign and send straight to their lawmakers, voicing their opposition to Gov. Shapiro’s anti- gun budget proposals.
“As your constituent and supporter of GOA, I am urging you to oppose the gun control funding included in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026–2027 budget proposal,” the letter states. “The governor proposes $1 million for an Office of Gun Violence Prevention housed within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. This new office would function as a publicly funded lobbying operation designed to push additional gun control legislation — using taxpayer dollars to advocate against the rights of law-abiding citizens.
“Even more concerning, the budget doubles funding for the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) to $8.9 million. Expanding this bureaucracy will inevitably increase administrative costs, and history shows those costs are often shifted onto gun owners through fees and taxes — including the unconstitutional $2 PICS check fee and the $3 tax on new firearm purchases.”
Ultimately, the letter asks lawmakers to side with gun owners on the governor’s anti-gun budget proposals.
“I urge you to eliminate funding for the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, zero-line the budget for the ‘Record of Sale handgun registry, and protect taxpayers from being forced to fund policies that undermine our constitutional freedoms,” the letter concludes. “Please stand with law-abiding gun owners and reject these budget provisions. Gun Owners of America will keep me updated.”
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