PITTSBURGH — Mayor Bill Peduto is responding to the Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala's comments about proposed gun reform in Pittsburgh with a simple challenge: "Arrest me."
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In December, Peduto and other city leaders proposed "common-sense" gun measures, which they say will make city streets, schools, places of worship and families safer.
Just one month later, Zappala called the gun reform plan "unconstitutional" and said there could be legal consequences for Peduto or council members who work to implement the gun legislation.
Breaking: Pgh Mayor blast DA over comments about gun legislation, telling Target 11 he was offended by DA.
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"Arrest me," Peduto said Tuesday. "I welcome him trying to put up a lawsuit that would arrest me if I sign this legislation.
"Anybody who would threaten a legislator of any body, city council, state rep, Congress member, that you will be arrested if you don't vote a certain way, what country do we live in?"
Zappala's office issued this statement not long after Peduto's comments:
"The statements from the city do not accurately reflect the content of the letter that the District Attorney communicated to council. The letter has no relation to politics or policy. It is about process and legality."
While state law bans local governments from enacting gun reform legislation, the mayor said after the Tree of Life mass shooting, the city has to do something and he's prepared to challenge the law in court.
City council is holding a public hearing Thursday on the legislation, and Peduto will speak about it later this week at the Annual Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C.
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- 'Common-sense' gun measures to be introduced in Pittsburgh
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