In the wake of the Connecticut school massacre, President Barack Obama has called for "meaningful action" on gun safety.

Nine of the 11 legislators who currently represent Lancaster County residents at the federal or state level said they are willing to discuss certain aspects of the issue.

Most avoided directly answering a reporter's question as to whether they would support or oppose legislation that includes tougher restrictions on semi-automatic weapons and ammunition.

But all agreed that certain people — such as those with mental health issues — shouldn't own guns.

The call for stricter gun laws gained attention after gunmen Adam Lanza used a semi-automatic assault rifle equipped with high-capacity magazines to kill 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Despite Obama's call for new legislation, U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts said government action would not necessarily stop future gun attacks.

"There are no easy answers, and there are no quick fixes," the Republican lawmaker wrote in an email.

Senate Democrats want the presidents to push Congress to reinstate a ban on assault weapons and restrict the size of bullet magazines, which were used in almost all recent mass shootings in the country.

The Bush administration allowed the ban to lapse in 2004.

On the state level, Rep. Gordon Denlinger and Sen. Mike Brubaker said it's too soon to reach for legislative solutions.

"While I recognize the desire to separate the gunman from his actions and to reach for policy solutions, we cannot exonerate Lanza by placing the blame elsewhere," Denlinger wrote in an email. "As difficult as this all is, we need to recognize the realities of human nature and the potential to do evil."

Brubaker said there are questions about the Connecticut shooting that need to be answered before moving forward.

"I still need to know more information, so when we go to build new strategies, we build on what we learn," he said. "We need to make sure this isn't seen exclusively as a school security issue, gun issue or mental health issue."

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said "everything should be on the table," but stopped short of explicitly supporting a ban.

"These senseless acts of violence are unacceptable," the Democrat said. "Addressing them will require a comprehensive strategy that acknowledges all of the factors that contributed to this tragedy and takes every appropriate step to protect our citizens, especially our kids."

If legislation is proposed, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey said he will focus on policies that aim to keep weapons from getting into the wrong hands.

"Among other things, we need to have a discussion about the best way to better identify and protect ourselves from dangerous and mentally deranged individuals who seek to carry out such atrocities," the Republican lawmaker wrote in an email.

Pitts agrees.

"We need to recognize ... that no law can prevent insanity and that criminals and madmen do not obey the law," he said.

Pitts said the tragedy in Connecticut brought back memories of the senseless shootings at Nickel Mines School.

Shortly after the 2006 Nickel Mines incident, Pitts voted for a bill that prohibited firearm purchases by people deemed by a court to be mentally ill or dangerous.

State Rep. Mike Sturla said that because most Republicans say mental health is a big part of the conversation, he hopes they will consider reinstating funds that have been cut from social services.

"A lot of people don't want to talk about tougher gun laws, so maybe we can get them to adequately fund the mental health system," the Democrat said.

State Rep. Ryan Aument said he is willing to fight for more money to improve mental health services.

As a soldier serving in Iraq, Aument handled semi-automatic weapons.

"Most people understand that a weapon should be respected and understand the reality of what guns are capable of doing," he said. "The people who commit these crimes have total disregard for human life."

Aument said he'd rather see stricter enforcement of existing laws than the creation of more.

Although most Republican prefer to proceed cautiously when it comes to gun control, many Americans are calling for an immediate response.

More than 120,000 people signed a petition asking the White House to press Congress for restrictions on gun ownership on the White House's We the People website within 48 hours of the massacre.

State Sen. Lloyd Smucker supports the call for action but said policy changes must come from Washington.

"Much of this solution will have to come from the federal level," he said. "Any legislation must be well-thought-out and uphold out constitutional right to bear arms."

Six states — California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and New York — as well as Washington, D.C. already have restrictions in place on high-capacity magazines.

The White House said the president supported the federal ban on assault weapons — a commitment he made during his 2008 election campaign but has not pushed since.

In order to get meaningful legislation passed, Sturla said, people must remain committed to the issue long after the media spotlight is gone.

"The unfortunate thing is that the people adamantly opposed to tougher gun laws will weather the storm here and nothing will get done — unless people keep pushing the issue," he said.

State Rep. Dave Hickernell said tougher guns laws won't necessarily curb violent crime.

"All the gun laws in the world couldn't keep someone who really wanted to hurt people from getting their hands on one," the Republican said.

Hickernell said the topic is tough to talk about right now because his opinion, which mirrors the majority of his constituents, is not popular right now.

"I don't want to come off sounding insensitive, but I haven't had one phone call or email from a constituent asking for stricter gun laws," he said.

Sturla said gun control would be easier to discuss if the issue was viewed differently.

"It's not a fight over the Second Amendment — it's more about where we want to draw the line," he said. "People should be able to protect themselves, but does that mean they should have tanks and missiles? I don't think so."

State Sen. Mike Folmer didn't respond to repeated requests for comment. State Rep. Bryan Cutler is on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

Leaders of the National Rifle Association — the country's most powerful gun rights organization — said they are "prepared to offer meaningful contributions" to prevent more violence at a press conference Friday.

The NRA has given contributions to the following lawmakers: Pitts ($10,000, since 2002), Toomey ($4,950), Brubaker ($1,750), Cutler ($500), Hickernell ($400), Folmer ($395) and Smucker ($250).

Brubaker said he does not consult the NRA on legislation before casting his votes.

"I don't receive contributions in exchange for predetermined policy positions," he said.

Hickernell said his vote depends on what the majority of his constituents want — not on how much a special interest group will contribute to his campaign.
kshuey@lnpnews.com