No recent law in Pennsylvania has become more controversial than the one legalizing many types of fireworks that until 2017 had been banned.

Residents have besieged their state and local officials begging for relief from what sometimes seems like nonstop activity, especially around holidays. With July 4 again falling on a weekend, residents are bracing themselves for a major disruption of their peace and serenity over a multiple-day period.

State Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh, along with state Reps. Jeanne McNeil, Mike Schlossberg and Steve Samuelson, all D-Lehigh; Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, and Maureen Madden, D-Monroe, has introduced a bill which would repeal the 2017 fireworks-expansion law.

“For the past few years, I, along with many of my neighbors have been awakened at all hours of the night from the loud barrage of fireworks near my home, and with the Fourth of July holiday approaching, it is time again to address this problem,” Schweyer said.

“Many of my colleagues in the House, from Philadelphia to Easton and Pittsburgh to Erie, have all shared similar fireworks problems in their communities. This legislation would repeal the most recent changes made to the fireworks law and would provide all municipalities more power to enforce the law and help restore quality of life back to residents,” Schweyer added.

The bill was introduced earlier this year but has languished in committee, so, of course, there is no chance for it to be a factor in this weekend’s coming holiday. There are 38 co-sponsors among the 203 members of the House of Representatives, but just two are Republicans, including Jack Rader, R-Monroe.

“Last summer,” McNeill added, “as noted by conversations I had with many residents throughout Lehigh County, it seemed as though the COVID pandemic produced an uptick in pyrotechnic use. This increased nighttime activity added to the stresses in our communities and creating a safety issue. One resident described it as living in a ‘war zone.’?”

“It’s been a quality-of-life issue,” said Schlossberg, who added that he has “not had one constituent say ‘I really like fireworks.’ Schlossberg said that the small revenue benefits that the state has gained from the taxes on the increased sales of fireworks is far offset by the negative effects they have had on communities.

“It has become abundantly clear that the changes that were made to the fireworks law resulted in the terrible disruption of neighborhood peace and quiet as fireworks users flagrantly disregarded the restrictions in the statute, and local law enforcement officials found it difficult to enforce,” Freeman said. “Rep. Schweyer’s bill to take the fireworks law back to what it was before the changes will restore the peace and quiet to our communities.”

State Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-Schuylkill, who said he is closely monitoring the bill and the arguments surrounding the issue, acknowledged that he has heard a growing chorus of complaints from unhappy constituents.

He said that one of the most important aspects of the 2017 law is the local control given to municipalities should they decide to use it. Many have by limiting the hours when fireworks can be set off. Many disallow them to be set off after 11 at night, midnight around a major holiday such as New Year’s Eve.

If House Bill 988 is enacted, it would reinstate the provisions as they existed before Act 43 and would allow Pennsylvanians to use novelty fireworks or enjoying fireworks shows in their community to celebrate the Fourth of July or other holidays and special events. The 2017 law allowed consumers to buy products such as Roman candles and bottle rockets.

Research shows that the sound of fireworks affects veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, those who are autistic and other domestic animals aside from dogs and cats, such as horses and livestock.

Here are the restrictions on fireworks use:

• On any public or private property without the owner’s permission

• Inside a building or motor vehicle

• Shooting fireworks toward a motor vehicle or building

• Within 150 feet of an occupied building

Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not allowed to shoot off fireworks.

I agree with Rep. Schlossberg, who admitted, “We screwed up a few years ago.” Schlossberg said he voted “yes” as a compromise to get the 2017 budget deal approved. “We need to own up to it and fix it,” Schlossberg said.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.