Pennsylvania's new attorney general wound up in the middle of a discussion about gun control Thursday at what was supposed to be a hearing on her office's budget.
 
In two days of hearings Attorney General Kathleen Kane had urged the House Appropriations Committee to support a $13 million funding increase to offset payroll costs and finance crackdowns on child predators and an influx of violent drug dealers from Mexico. But on day two committee members' comments often strayed from the budget's ledger lines.
 
Rep. Cherelle Parker, D-Philadelphia, applauded Kane's support for certain gun-control measures, including universal background checks for gun purchasers and mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns.
 
Parker praised Kane for taking steps during her first month in office to close a loophole allowing Pennsylvanians to get concealed-weapon permits from Florida even if prohibited from doing so back home. Kane said her office is reviewing gun-reciprocity agreements between Pennsylvania and other states to identify any other such loopholes.