A pair of Bucks County Republicans have, in our opinion, the right idea when it comes to gun violence — punish those repeatedly convicted of crimes more harshly.

Rep. Frank Farry and Rep. K.C. Tomlinson have proposed House Bill 2819 to create new mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines for convicted offenders who are found with a weapon.

A first-time offender would receive a mandatory minimum jail sentence of eleven months. The mandatory minimum jail sentence would increase to five years for a second offense and 15 years for a third offense.

This is the type of law that would typically find favor in the state Legislature. It should also find favor with Gov. Tom Wolf if the legislature takes action on it before the end of the legislative session. Too often guns are found in possession of those who can’t legally have them.

Gun violence is a problem, but as we noted in this space recently, reducing Pennsylvania’s crime rates and preventing violent crimes will depend on the state’s willingness to confront those who commit violent crimes, not a willingness to unconstitutionally strip law-abiding Americans of their rights to keep and bear arms. Farry and Tomlinson propose a common-sense idea that aims to punish those who have disregarded the terms of their release from prison to make the same mistakes they made before they were incarcerated.

Wolf recently signaled disapproval of any new mandatory minimums when he vetoed legislation called Markie’s Law. We disagreed with that decision. If House Bill 2819 is passed by the state Legislature, Wolf should sign it into law. The state should do what it can to help ex-convicts who are trying to build a new life. It has no such bargain with those who fall into the same situations that landed them in prison in the first place.