With the controversial Trayvon Martin shooting last spring and the series of mass shootings this summer, there’s been an increased focus on our country’s weak gun laws and efforts by groups like the NRA to obstruct any attempt to curb access to firearms.

The NRA and its allies, along with small arms manufacturers, spend big money in politics to make this happen—and Pennsylvania is no exception.

The National Rifle Association has donated $192,051 to current and former Pennsylvania state lawmakers and parties since 1998, nearly three-quarters of the $266,153 pro-gun interests have poured into political coffers during that time, according to Public Campaign analysis of data from the National Institute on Money in State Politics and Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s office.

Republican candidates and committees have received 65 percent of pro-gun contributions—or $172,873 to $93,280 for Democrats.

The top recipient, still in office, is Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett who has received $14,000 from gun interests. In 2009, as Pennsylvania Attorney General, Corbett joined 33 other attorneys general in urging the Supreme Court to strike down municipal handgun restrictions.

Pro-Gun Legislation

• In 2011, the state legislature passed a “Stand Your Ground” law similar to Florida’s controversial policy. Pennsylvania House members who voted for Stand Your Ground in 2011 took nearly five times more, on average, in gun industry money than those who voted against the bill. In the state senate, no senators who voted against the bill received gun money while the senators who voted for Stand Your Ground took nearly $1000 of gun money on average.
• Also in 2011, Rep. Tim Kreiger introduced legislation that would make it legal to transport guns without a firearms license as long as the purpose for the transport is legal and the guns are not loaded. The bill did not pass, but sponsors of the legislation received $40,685 in gun industry contributions.
• After Philadelphia passed an ordinance requiring the reporting of lost or stolen guns, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe introduced a bill to allow groups like the NRA to intercede in lawsuits against such city laws. Co-sponsors of that bill took at least $34,600 from gun interests. Metcalfe has received $4,835 from gun interests, mostly from the Firearms Owners against Crime. This pro-gun group’s chairman Kim Stolfer has personally given $385 to Metcalfe and took a lead role in drafting this bill for Metcalfe.

So far this election cycle, gun groups have given just $16,242 in donations to candidates and committees, based on reports filed with the Secretary of State’s office, but that number is likely to increase as the cycle goes along.