BRADY CAMPAIGN THANKS SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI FOR APPOINTING MATTIE SCOTT AS A CALIFORNIA ELECTOR

The Appointment Recognizes the Millions of Voters Who Demanded Gun Violence Prevention and Scott’s Decades of Determined Activism to Make Our Nation Safer

 https://elections.bradyunited.org/press-releases/speaker-nancy-pelosi-mattie-scott-electoral-college-california

 Washington, D.C., December 14, 2020 – The Brady Campaign thanks Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi for recognizing Mattie Scott’s decades of patriotism and activism by appointing her an Elector for California in today’s Electoral College vote for President and Vice President of the United States.

Mattie Scott is the President of Brady California, the founder and Executive Director of Healing 4 Our Families & Our Nation, and has advocated for gun violence prevention for over 20 years, following the murder of her youngest son George C. Scott in 1996. She has served as a delegate for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and serves on the San Francisco Chief of Police African American Police Advisory Board.

Brady Campaign President Kris Brown shared:

“Speaker Pelosi’s appointment is a fitting tribute to both Mattie’s decades of advocacy and to the millions of Americans who went to the polls in November to elect leaders who champion common-sense gun safety policies. 100 people die from gun violence every day in the United States and we are thankful that Speaker Pelosi recognizes just how vitally important the voices of survivors of gun violence are in educating and reminding our leaders how their actions, and inaction, impact public safety every single day. Mattie’s presence as one of California’s electors is a needed reminder of the importance of the need to address our nation’s gun violence epidemic – a need that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris understand well. That today’s vote occurs on the eighth anniversary of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut underscores the need for immediate and substantive action to address this crisis.

The Brady Campaign thanks Speaker Pelosi for similarly recognizing this need and thanks Mattie for her leadership and moral clarity in advocating for gun violence prevention for over two decades. We are grateful that today Mattie can cast a vote for the strongest gun violence prevention ticket in history.”

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands. 

FOLLOWING SENATE JUDICIARY VOTE ON SUPREME COURT NOMINEE, BRADY REITERATES OPPOSITION TO FORCED, SHAM NOMINATION PROCESS

https://elections.bradyunited.org/press-releases/senate-judiciary-sham-amy-coney-barrett

 

Washington, D.C., October 22, 2020 - Today, without any members of the minority present, the Senate Judiciary Committee rushed through a vote to send the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate for consideration. This action stands in defiance of the ‘McConnell Rule’ precedent set only four years ago to not move a President’s nominee to the Supreme Court in an election year. It stands in defiance of the desire of the American people to have a say in this lifetime appointment to the highest court in our nation. The Brady Campaign calls on the Senate to reject Judge Barrett’s nomination when it comes to a vote next week.

Brady Campaign President Kris Brown shared:

“Senator Graham and the majority members of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to ram through President Trump’s latest Supreme Court nomination sends a clear message that the will and safety of the American people don’t matter to them. The Republican leadership has shown that their words are worthless, and that all they are concerned with is raw power and ensuring that the Supreme Court is more welcoming to a host of dangerous, extreme gun lobby views. This latest, cynical step in this sham process will forever damage the credibility of the Supreme Court, the Senate, and the safety of Americans.

This process has been a disservice to the American people, to the integrity of the Judiciary, and to the U.S. Senate as an institution.

Judge Barrett’s nomination will now move forward to a vote in the full Senate. During her hearings last week, Judge Barrett demonstrated that she will not temper her extremist views. Her answers were evasive, and provided more indication that she would engage in the worst sort of judicial activism to deprive Americans of democratically-enacted, live-saving gun laws and replace them with her own extreme gun lobby agenda, all under the veneer of an “originalist” and “textualist” philosophy that distorts history and disregards Constitutional text. This is why the NRA so quickly and happily cheered her nomination.

There is still an opportunity to carry out the will of the American people and to give us a say in this process. Brady calls on the U.S. Senate to reject Judge Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court.”

About Judge Amy Coney Barrett and Gun Safety:

For more information, read Brady’s memo ‘The Case Against the Confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett.’

Judge Amy Coney Barrett has served as a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit since November 2017, following her nomination by President Donald Trump and confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Judge Barrett previously served as a law professor at Notre Dame Law School and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and for Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Her views on the Second Amendment are well documented -- and dangerous. Judge Barrett has explicitly stated her belief that “The Second Amendment confers an individual right, intimately connected with the natural right of self-defense, and not limited to civic participation (i.e., militia service).” She has stated that she believes common-sense regulations such as restrictions on gun ownership for those previously found guilty of a felony are unconstitutional in some instances and indicated that she intends to increase the scope of the Second Amendment. She has shown a willingness to view restrictions on the ability to access firearms with extreme skepticism and that she supports an extreme interpretation of the Second Amendment as a supreme natural right.

Brady urges the U.S. Senate to reject Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

 

A VICTORY FOR GUN VIOLENCE VICTIMS: PENNSYLVANIA APPEALS COURT STRIKES DOWN LEGAL SHIELD FOR GUN INDUSTRY AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Brady lawsuit successfully challenged the constitutionality of federal law immunizing the gun industry from lawsuits when its dangerous conduct played a role in injury or death

 https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/plcaa-guns-unconstitutional-federal-court

 Washington, D.C., September 28, 2020 - Brady applauds the decision of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania holding that the federal gun industry protection law, the Protection of the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (“PLCAA”) is unconstitutional in its entirety, the first appeals court to do so. The ruling is a major victory in the effort to hold the gun industry accountable for its role in driving America’s gun violence epidemic and a harbinger for the importance of a judicial branch that balances interests of public safety with rights to gun ownership.

Lead counsel for Gustafson and Brady Vice President for Legal Jonathan Lowy shared:

“This is a win for the parents of J.R. Gustafson and other victims of gun industry negligence and misconduct, who will now have their day in court. In finding that PLCAA is unconstitutional in its entirety, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania properly recognizes that states have the authority to hold negligent gun makers accountable in court, and to ensure that all victims have the right to seek civil justice against wrongdoers who cause them harm. As the court held, there is no right to ‘negligently or defectively manufacture or sell firearms or ammunition.’ Gun makers and sellers are no longer immune from the consequences of their unreasonable, irresponsible actions that lead to injury and death. We look forward to proving J.R.’s case in court.”

SBrady President Kris Brown shared:

“This access-to-justice victory for gun violence victims shows why it matters who sits on our nation’s courts. As this Court recognized, the Constitution protects all of us, including innocent victims of both an out-of-control gun industry and a Congress with too many Members all-too-willing to value gun industry profits over American lives. Our nation’s laws should be designed to ensure our most basic freedoms, including the right to safety and to live, are protected. This decision rightly held that PLCAA is ‘repugnant to the Constitution’ and without 'the force or effect of law.' This historic victory takes us a giant stride closer to ensuring that victims of gun violence can hold the companies that profit from the pain of the American people accountable.”

About the Case:

On March 20, 2016 in Mount Pleasant, a town outside of Pittsburgh, J.R. Gustafson died in an unintentional shooting by a boy who mistakenly believed the gun was unloaded when the magazine was removed. Gun manufacturer Springfield Armory made and local gun store Saloom sold the gun, which lacked several obvious safety features that resulted in J.R.’s death.

On March 19, 2018, Brady and Pittsburgh firm Carlson Lynch, on behalf of J.R Gustafson’s parents, sued the gun maker and the gun store, alleging that the boy’s death could have been prevented had the defective gun included several safety features, including a magazine disconnect and an internal lock or a loaded chamber indicator.

On January 15, 2019, a trial judge in Westmoreland County ruled that PLCAA provides the gun industry with immunity, and dismissed the suit. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania reversed that decision and remanded the case to the trial court.

 About Brady Legal:

Brady has represented victims of gun industry negligence for over 30 years and has won more than $60 million in settlements and verdicts in cases brought by Brady on behalf of victims and survivors. Brady has also won landmark precedents holding that gun companies can be held legally responsible for the damage caused by their irresponsible business practices and has forced gun dealers and manufacturers to reform their practices to prevent sales of guns to dangerous people. Brady has litigated in over 40 states, and won victories in the Supreme Courts of Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Alaska, and appellate and trial courts in California, Florida, Mississippi, New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and other states.

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 Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

 

BRADY URGES CA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM TO SIGN NEEDED GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION BILLS FOLLOWING UNPRECEDENTED LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Washington, D.C., September 4, 2020 - Today, following the end of an unprecedented legislative session in California, Brady urges Governor Gavin Newsom to sign five, gun violence prevention bills and two bills on policing into law. When signed, these much-needed policies will work to ensure the safety of all Californians. These measures address the complex problems of gun violence through comprehensive solutions. By enacting new evidence-based policies, reforming existing systems and improving regulations and procedures, these bills will reduce the impact of gun violence throughout the state.

These changes complement California’s increased funding for community violence prevention efforts included in the state’s 2020-2021 budget and already signed by Gov. Newsom. That funding protected and increased funding for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program (CalVIP), which supports evidence-based urban violence prevention programs such as hospital and community-based violence interventions. These programs are proven to reduce the incidence of homicides, shootings, and aggravated assaults, especially in communities of color, often black communities, that are disproportionately affected by gun violence.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Despite an unprecedented global pandemic that has affected every facet of daily life and government, the California State Legislature remained focused on preventing gun violence this year. Brady is grateful to the legislature and to Gov. Newsom for maintaining funding for CALVIP, which will fund needed and evidence-based violence interruption programs across the state. We call on the Governor to act with this same prudent foresight and sign these bills that will prevent gun violence in all of its forms and help to improve policing in California. Californians have asked for these reforms and their duly elected legislature has acted. Throughout his career, Governor Newsom has proven himself a steadfast champion in his work to prevent gun violence, which is why Brady strongly urges him to make these bills law.”

Brady Program Manager Steve Lindley, the former Chief of the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms, shared:

“The policies passed by the California State Legislature are essential components in California’s on-going effort to prevent gun violence in all of its forms. From new technology requirements for semiautomatic pistols to a bill respecting extreme risk protection orders instituted in other states to a bill that will ensure gun dealers act responsibly, these bills build upon and strengthen California’s existing gun violence prevention laws and regulations. As a former law enforcement officer and chief of the Bureau of Firearms, I’ve seen the effects that such changes to our laws can have on community violence and crime. These policies, as well as new laws to fund community-led emergency responses when law enforcement officers aren’t necessary and to ban the use of dangerous chokeholds will help reduce violence in our state. Gov. Newsom must sign all of these bills.”

Brady California Legislative Chair Amanda Wilcox shared:

“I have seen many successes and setbacks in my over fifteen years working on gun violence prevention in California. The bills passed in this legislative session are undoubtedly a resounding success in the effort to reduce and prevent gun violence in our state. These bills must become law. Sadly, examples of why we need these policies already exist. One bill, in particular, requiring the verification of a hunting license for a gun purchase could have prevented the deadly mass shooting in Poway, last year. Similarly, Assemblymember Gabriel’s bill making all Gun Violence Restraining Orders enforceable in California will help to ensure that individuals who are a proven risk to themselves or others temporarily do not possess weapons. These policies will save lives and I call on Gov. Newsom to sign them into law at once.”

During the 2020 State Legislative Session, Brady supported the following bills that are now waiting for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature:

AB 2847 - Introduced by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), AB 2847 eases existing microstamping requirements to just one location, making it entirely feasible for gun manufacturers to comply and to introduce safer and better guns in California. This law will insure that newly introduced handguns have certain consumer safety features and microstamps that mark bullet casings with information to help law enforcement identify shooters and gun traffickers to catch them before they do more harm.

AB 2617 - Introduced by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), AB 2617 will further protect those in crisis and all Californians by making out-of-state Extreme Risk Orders Enforceable in California.

AB 2362 - Introduced by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), AB 2362 will allow the California Department of Justice to impose fines on firearm sellers for violations to ensure that gun dealers engage in safe and responsible business practices. 

SB 914 - Introduced by Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge), SB 914 will require the California Department of Justice and gun dealers to confirm the validity of hunting licenses for rifle buyers younger than age 21 during the 10-day waiting period. This bill was introduced in direct response to the 2019 mass shooting in Poway, where a teenage shooter obtained a firearm with an invalid hunting license.

AB 2061 - Introduced by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), AB 2061 will allow the California Department of Justice to inspect firearms dealers, ammunition vendors, or manufacturers participating in a gun show or event in order to ensure that all transfers or sales are conducted in compliance with applicable state and local laws.

AB 1196 - Introduced by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson), AB 1196 bans the use of chokeholds and carotid restraints statewide by law enforcement.

AB 2054 - Introduced by Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles), AB 2054 establishes the Community Response Initiative to Strengthen Emergency Systems (CRISES) which will fund community-led emergency responses to be available when law enforcement officers aren’t necessary. The CRISES Act directs the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to administer millions of dollars in grants to community organizations in at least ten counties over the next three years.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

BRADY APPLAUDS THIRD CIRCUIT RULING UPHOLDING NEW JERSEY'S BAN ON LARGE CAPACITY MAGAZINES

HTTPS://WWW.BRADYUNITED.ORG/PRESS-RELEASES/BRADY-THIRD-CIRCUIT-NEW-JERSEY-BAN-LARGE-CAPACITY-MAGAZINES

 Washington, D.C., September 1, 2020 - Today, Brady applauds the ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, upholding New Jersey’s ban on large capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The court’s judgement is prudent and upholds long standing precedent that there is no constitutional right to a large capacity magazine and that a state may ban them in the interest of public safety. In their opinion, the judges cited that “at least four other circuits that have decided that laws regulating [Large Capacity Magazines] are constitutional,” underscoring the widespread and established standard to which such bans are and should be held.

The Third Circuit’s ruling is correct; Brady reiterates that large capacity magazine bans are not only constitutional but in the best interest of public safety.

Brady Legal Vice President Jonathan Lowy shared:

“This decision is the latest reality-check confirming that so much of the rhetoric from the gun lobby and others on the Second Amendment is plain wrong. The Third Circuit, like most courts across the country, have properly recognized that the Second Amendment is totally consistent with strong, sensible gun laws, like New Jersey’s ban on large capacity magazines. The state’s duly elected legislature was within its authority to enact this law in the interest of public safety and to protect New Jersey citizens’ most fundamental right -- the right to live. The Second Amendment does not empower private citizens to arm themselves with weapons of war. We are pleased that the Third Circuit recognized and reaffirmed this.

This ruling follows a contrary decision in the Ninth Circuit court, where a three-judge panel incorrectly ruled that California’s ban on large capacity magazines violated an individual’s Second Amendment right to bear arms. In her dissenting opinion in that ruling, Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn stated that the facts in that case were “nearly identical” to previous cases which appeals courts, including the Ninth Circuit, had upheld bans on large capacity magazines. The ruling in the Third Circuit provides greater support for Judge Lynn’s well-reasoned dissent. Brady looks forward to the full Ninth Circuit overturning that decision and joining the Third Circuit in upholding precedent and the right of the state to protect its citizens.”

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

"AN ELEGANT SOLUTION" BRADY APPLAUDS THE PASSAGE OF BILL REQUIRING MICROSTAMPING TECHNOLOGY FOR NEW PISTOLS IN CALIFORNIA

 HTTPS://WWW.BRADYUNITED.ORG/PRESS-RELEASES/BRADY-CALIFORNIA-BILL-MICROSTAMPING-GUNS

 Washington, D.C., August 28, 2020 - Today, Brady applauds the California State Senate for passing AB 2847, introduced by Assemblyman David Chiu (D – San Francisco), which ensures that new model handguns introduced into California incorporate microstamping technology. This technology equips each individual firearm with a unique marking, a micro stamp, which is then imprinted onto casings when bullets are fired, connecting them to the gun that fired them and aiding law enforcement in identifying shooters and gun traffickers.

With the Senate’s action today, this bill is one step closer to reaching California Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature. Brady calls on Gov. Newsom to sign this bill into law without delay.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“In recent years, we have seen the rate of unsolved firearm assaults and homicides increase nationwide. Assemblyman Chiu’s bill, AB 2847, is an elegant solution to this pressing problem, using the latest technology to respect the rights of gun owners while making California safer. This bill, soon to be law, will provide a new and much needed tool to California law enforcement in their efforts to solve crimes involving a firearm and will help to make all California communities safer. In conjunction with the strong state and local gun safety laws and the state’s sustained investment in community violence prevention programs, requiring microstamping technology for new, semi automatic pistols shows that California is serious about addressing gun violence in all of its forms. That this legislative victory comes over a decade after the state first passed a microstamping requirement that was met with resistance from the gun lobby cannot go unsaid. Crimes could have been stopped, solved and lives saved but for the gun lobby’s meritless opposition. This victory is long in coming.

Brady thanks the California State Senate for passing this bill, Assemblymember Chiu for his leadership, and looks forward to Gov. Newsom signing this bill into law.”

Brady Program Manager Steve Lindley, the former Chief of the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms, shared:

“As a former law enforcement officer and chief of the Bureau of Firearms, I’ve seen firsthand the need for technology like microstamping to help solve crimes and stop gun trafficking. This bill will aid law enforcement in their efforts to solve crimes by creating a tracing system that will immediately identify a firearm when it is used in a crime. This law continues California’s long tradition of taking an evidence-based approach to preventing gun violence. All Californians can and should be proud of their state leaders for again leading the way in gun violence prevention with this common-sense solution.”

Brady California Legislative Chair Amanda Wilcox shared:

“Today’s victory is due to the hard work of many determined activists across the state and to the leadership of Assemblymember Chiu who remained undaunted in the face of stall tactics from the gun industry for over a decade. As someone who has personally been involved in the effort to enact this policy since 2005, the vote today showed that sound policy and common-sense solutions that are demanded by the majority of the people win out. This update to California’s Unsafe Handgun Act will help our state’s law enforcement solve crimes and stop cycles of violence before they have the opportunity to take hold.”

About AB 2847:

AB 2847 strengthens California’s Unsafe Handgun Act (UHA), which was passed in 1999 and established safety and quality standards for firearms manufactured and sold in California.

AB 2847 works to ensure that new model semi-automatic pistols introduced into California incorporate microstamping technology, which imprints a microscopic marking unique to that handgun on bullet cartridge casings when the gun is fired. When a cartridge is recovered at a crime scene, law enforcement then has access to the make, model, and other identifying information about the gun.

Microstamping requirements were included in a previous amendment to the UHA in 2007. The amendment included a requirement that all new semiautomatic pistol models incorporate microstamping technology in two places. The gun industry has effectively boycotted this safety law by refusing to develop and introduce any new handgun models for sale in California. Since 2013, when microstamping finally went into effect, no firearm manufacturer has submitted a handgun for certification that incorporates microstamping technology. Gun manufacturers claim they do not have the capacity to microstamp cartridges from two places on the interior of a firearm, as required under existing law, but have conceded that they are able to do so from one place.

AB 2847 addresses this concern and actually eases the requirement by mandating that newly developed semiautomatic pistol models engrave microstamping characters on just one place on the interior of the firearm. Gun manufacturers can easily, affordably, and feasibly comply with this mandate. This bill will likewise progressively reduce the availability of handguns that do not meet the existing UHA safety standards, gradually reducing the number of noncompliant weapons sold in California.

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 Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

 

"STANDING UP FOR DEMOCRACY" BRADY APPLAUDS LAWSUIT FILED BY NEW YORK, HAWAII, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK CITY AND CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO

Washington, D.C., August 26, 2020 - Today, Brady applauds the leadership of the Attorneys General of New York, Hawaii, New Jersey, and the City Attorneys of New York City, and the city and county of San Francisco for filing a lawsuit against the United States Postal Service, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and President Donald Trump to stop interference in the national postal service ahead of the 2020 election. This lawsuit follows similar lawsuits filed by Attorneys General in 20 other states and the District of Columbia.

These lawsuits are a needed action to protect our democracy and ensure that all Americans can freely exercise their right to vote by mail this November.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“The actions taken by the Attorneys General of New York, Hawaii, New Jersey and the City Attorneys for New York City and San Francisco are necessary to stop the Trump Administration from steamrolling our democracy. As the lawsuit lays out, the changes implemented by Postmaster General DeJoy “immediately...produced serious delays” in our nation’s mail system.

The lawsuit filed yesterday is another, concrete step to stopping these changes, which threaten the ability of millions of Americans to cast a ballot in this November’s election and make their voices heard. As New York Attorney General Letitia James correctly said, this is ‘voter suppression.’ We cannot be complacent in this effort. This lawsuit is an essential step, but all Americans must engage in this effort, as well, to ensure that November’s election is free and fair. Brady volunteers have already sent over 4,000 messages to their state’s Attorney General. The stakes in this election are too great, both for the movement to strengthen our nations’ gun safety laws and for our democracy. We cannot be silent and we cannot be complacent. Brady thanks these Attorneys General for standing up for democracy.”

About Brady’s Work to Liberate the Post Office:

Recognizing the threat to our nation’s election this November and clear in the need to elect a gun violence prevention majority to every state house, both chambers of Congress, and the White House , Brady has mobilized grassroots supporters to contact their state authorities to take action and stop Postmaster General DeJoy’s hollowing out of the U.S. Postal Service.

DeJoy’s actions have already slowed mail and service across the country. While this is a clear threat to the effort to vote by mail in November, this reduction in service has also affected businesses, families, and seniors across the country who rely on the postal service for day-to-day activities such as receiving medication and conducting business.

Since August 19, over 4,000 Brady activists have reached out to their state officials to demand that they stop Postmaster DeJoy’s actions and liberate our postal service.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

A MORE PERFECT UNION: DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION OFFERS VISION FOR AN AMERICA FREE FROM GUN VIOLENCE

https://elections.bradyunited.org/press-releases/a-more-perfect-union-democratic-national-convention-offers-vision-for-an-america-free-from-gun-violence

 Washington, D.C., August 19, 2020 - The faces and stories of gun violence survivors and advocates have been the throughline of the Democratic convention, underscoring how this issue affects every community across our nation. From last night’s roll call to tonight’s programming featuring former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and activists Emma Gonzalez and DeAndra Dycus, the message is clear: we need a Biden-Harris Administration to help end gun violence, and continue to work through and after this election to create real change.

This convention has offered a vision of an America that takes this crisis seriously.

Brady Campaign President Kris Brown shared:

“Tonight, the Democratic National Convention began with a testament to the toll that gun violence takes on all communities in our nation. We heard from survivors and activists who have committed their lives to stopping preventable tragedies. We know in our movement that access and participation in our democracy and the effort to prevent gun violence is inseparable. We also know that in this election, that democracy is under threat. It is why Brady is committed to ensuring that we are not only engaged in this election, but are working to expand access to our democracy for all communities in this country. For we know that the communities most and actively disenfranchised in our democracy are those also most affected by gun violence. The movement to end gun violence in this country is inseparable from the effort to expand access and participation in our democracy. It is why former President Barack Obama warned tonight, ‘Do not let them take away your democracy.’ We must all participate and engage in this November’s election, even as it is under threat.

The Brady Campaign applauds the Democratic National Convention for highlighting gun violence as a clear public health and safety crisis and calling us all to working in this election to solve that crisis. The Brady Campaign stands with former Vice President Biden and Senator Harris in the resolve to solve that crisis.”

The Team ENOUGH Executive Council shared:

“As the generation that will be forced to live and reckon with the consequences of policies that favor the status quo, we know we cannot be complacent. It is essential to have elected officials who listen to people from marginalized communities that experience the weight of gun violence every day - communities whose needs and interests are often ignored or actively suppressed. It’s why Team ENOUGH has continued to work to expand access to our democracy this election, so that all voices and especially those historically and continuously disenfranchised are heard this November. We cannot solve this problem until all of us are seen and heard in this process, instead of being told to sit down and wait our turn.

But, we will not achieve equity with words alone, we need action. We will not rest during this election to elect gun violence prevention champions up and down the ballot. And, we will not rest in our work to help them enact change and create a new reality for all Americans.”

During his time as a Senator, Joe Biden was a critical voice in shepherding through both the Brady Bill and the federal assault weapons ban. He was an original sponsor and instrumental in the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. He forcefully opposed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) which gives the gun industry unprecedented protections under law.

As Vice President during the Obama-Biden administration, Vice President Biden was tasked with developing and implementing common-sense policies to keep Americans safe while the U.S. Senate refused to pass comprehensive legislation. Vice President Biden’s work helped to close loopholes and expand resources for Americans. He is willing and able to work without Congress to keep Americans safe.

We know that a Biden-Harris administration will listen to the voices of all Americans who are calling for needed fixes to our gun violence epidemic. This week’s convention has shown that clearly, and the Brady Campaign is proud to reiterate its support for their vision of an America free from gun violence.

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 Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

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BRADY STATEMENT ON SELECTION OF SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS FOR VICE PRESIDENT

https://elections.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-kamala-harris-for-vice-president

 Washington, D.C., August 11, 2020 – Today, the Brady Campaign commends former Vice President Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination for Vice President. Sen. Harris is a trusted, established, and clear champion for gun violence prevention who has shown throughout her career that she is unafraid to have gun safety at the center of her agenda.

Brady Campaign President Kris Brown shared:

“Joe Biden’s choice of Senator Harris for Vice President reflects his clear understanding that the problems our nation faces require strong, informed, and decisive leadership. Brady applauds this selection, as a Biden-Harris Administration will bring both this leadership and needed empathy back to the White House, especially in the effort to prevent gun violence. Throughout her career, Senator Harris has shown that she will act to prevent gun violence and keep our communities safe. From championing both common-sense and innovative gun safety policies as California Attorney General while holding gun manufacturers accountable for profiting off of violence to demanding federal action on gun violence as a United States Senator, Sen. Harris has shown that stopping gun violence is a priority. It is why she introduced a plan to use executive authority to strengthen our nation’s gun safety regulations early in her presidential campaign last year. She understands that, when over 40,000 Americans a year die from gun violence, this issue is too pressing to wait. We need action, not words, and a Biden-Harris Administration will not hesitate to act to make our communities safer.

Brady is proud to enthusiastically support Sen. Harris’ selection for Vice President. We need her voice in this fight.”

Sen. Harris has championed gun violence prevention at every opportunity, from her time as a District Attorney, as Attorney General, as a U.S. Senator, and during her campaign for the Democratic nomination for President. In that campaign, Senator Harris was steadfast in her commitment to ending our nation’s gun violence epidemic, including taking executive action to improve our nation’s gun safety laws within the first 100 days. As Attorney General, Sen. Harris championed implicit bias and procedural justice training for law enforcement while supporting efforts to remove firearms from persons who are legally not allowed to have them. She continued these efforts in the U.S. Senate, where Senator Harris has strongly advocated for comprehensive gun violence prevention reform as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, helping to draw attention to the Senate’s dangerous lack of action on gun violence and putting forward proposals to help make our nation safer. As Vice President, Senator Harris would bring this same zeal and understanding to preventing gun violence, helping to close existing loopholes in our laws, create new regulations to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who should not have them, and hold gun manufacturers accountable for profiting off of violence in our communities.

A Biden-Harris Administration will ensure that the Biden Plan to End Our Gun Violence Epidemic becomes law. That plan prioritizes stopping the flow of weapons into our communities by strengthening background checks, banning the sale of assault weapons in the U.S., properly funding the background check system, banning ‘ghost guns’ and ghost gun kits, and investing in community-based solutions to reduce conflict and prevent violence. In total, this plan will address gun violence in all of its forms, improving federal laws and systems while working with state and local governments to implement solutions that work with and within communities to prevent violence.

Brown concluded:

“As Vice President, we know that Senator Harris will demonstrate how her deep and detailed understanding of our nation’s gun violence epidemic translates into action to make our country safer. She recognizes the scale and scope of this issue. She has proven that she is unafraid to act. Brady is delighted to see that she will bring this same clarity of purpose as Vice President.”

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 Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

 

BRADY APPLAUDS NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES FOR SEEKING TO REMOVE THE NRA'S TAX EXEMPT STATUS

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-applauds-new-york-attorney-general-letitia-james-for-seeking-to-remove-the-nras-tax-exempt-status

 

Washington, D.C., August 6, 2020 – Today, Brady applauds New York Attorney General Letitia James’ announcement that she has filed a complaint in the Supreme Court of New York that includes 18 causes of action against the National Rifle Association (NRA) and four of its senior officers, current and former, for fraud, malfeasance, false filings and abuse of the NRA’s tax-exempt status, among other charges. AG James’ action seeks to dissolve the organization in its entirety, following its rampant and wanton misfilings and false reporting. In October 2019 Brady filed a complaint with the IRS seeking an examination into, and ultimately a revocation of, the NRA’s tax exempt status. For over 40 years Brady has fought the NRA, which has operated in a manner entirely inconsistent with its mission in a manner which has put profits (both for NRA leaders and the gun industry) over people.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Today’s action shows what many Americans have seen for years: the NRA has lost its way. Instead of advocating for common-sense gun policies that protect gun owners, families, and communities, the NRA has instead become an extremist organization, focused on lining their own pockets and the pockets of the gun industry at the expense of all Americans. Almost a year ago Brady, in a detailed letter filing to the IRS, set forth many of the details noted in the complaint filed by AG James. We applaud the New York Attorney General for stepping up and taking this much-needed action. The NRA has continued to use donations to empower extremism, expand deadly loopholes and block life-saving policies in Congress and in state legislatures across the country. Their actions have betrayed their supporters who donated to the NRA, not knowing that their dollars would be used to fund second homes, lavish vacations, new cars or private jets.

These are not the actions of the directors of a tax-exempt organization.

Real lives have been lost due to the NRA’s practices and approach to gun policy in America. Their greed has come at a human cost. We applaud the New York Attorney General for this important step in bringing this organization to justice and securing an America in which no one is above the law, not even the NRA."

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

BRADY MARKS 55 YEARS OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT: A CALL TO PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-marks-55-years-of-the-voting-rights-act-a-call-to-protect-our-democracy

 

Washington D.C, August 6, 2020 - Fifty-five years after President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, Brady calls for renewed attention to the on-going effort to disenfranchise Black and Brown voters in the United States and calls for greater action to ensure that our democracy and elections are inclusive of all Americans. Brady reiterates the call for online and same-day voter registration, universal vote-by-mail and absentee voting, early voting access, and universal enfranchisement for formerly incarcerated persons, as part of the Voting Access Saves Lives campaign. These are needed reforms that help to address the ongoing effort to repress voters and stop the voice of all Americans from being heard in our democracy. The anniversary of this historic and transformative bill underscores the urgent need for these reforms.

Brady President Kris Brown shared,

“When signing the Voting Rights Act, President Johnson declared that the law ‘flows from a clear and simple wrong’ and that ‘its only purpose is to right that wrong.’ Fifty-five years later, while we have made progress to right that wrong, there remains an active and concerted effort to suppress the votes of people of color, particularly of Black Americans. From gerrymandered districts to voter roll purges and purposeful under-resourcing of voting infrastructure, millions of Americans, including Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American voters; voters with disabilities; and students, face systemic barriers to casting their votes and participating in our democratic processes. These intentional barriers corrode the trust that many Americans place in our government, weaken our democracy, and reneges on the founding promises and principles of our republic.

President Johnson signed this law flanked by the men and women who risked their lives to deliver a nation that lived up to its promise, by working and fighting to secure voting rights for all Americans. Today, we acknowledge much more work must be done to ensure free and fair access to the ballot box by historically disenfranchised voters. The fight for gun violence prevention is inextricably tied to our voting access. That is why Brady is committed to ensuring that all Americans have the right to vote and the intent of the Voting Rights Act is fully realized in our electoral process.”

Brady Constitutional Litigation Counsel and Director of Racial Justice Kelly Sampson shared:

“Fifty-five years ago, John Lewis and many other men and women famously risked their lives to secure the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act was the fruit of their efforts, helping to finally deliver the ability to vote to many to whom it had been long denied. While we laid Rep. Lewis to rest less than a week ago, the causes he fought for his whole life for are, troublingly, still as present and pressing today as they were in 1965.

The concerted and purposeful efforts to disenfranchise Black Americans from exercising our right to vote continues to this day, resulting in lawmakers who are not beholden to their constituents or the issues that affect them most. It’s why the gun violence prevention movement has been clear that protecting democracy is inseparable from reducing gun violence, as the communities most affected by gun violence are often those who are actively excluded from our democratic processes. We need lawmakers who will address the concerns of their communities, that includes gun violence.

Rep. John Lewis told us that if we see something that is not right, we must do something. The active suppression of the right to vote is not right. It was not right in 1965 and, while it has a different form in 2020, it is not right today. Rep. Lewis fought for this cause his entire life and we must continue that fight. We need policies such as expanded access to early voting, universal mail-in-voting, and enfranchisement for previously incarcerated Americans. Rep. Lewis told us the right to vote is precious and we will honor that truth.”

The Team ENOUGH Executive Council shared:

“Young people have watched as the promises within the Voting Rights Act have been ignored, violated, or actively overturned during our lifetime. Today’s anniversary underscores the immediate need to reform our elections to ensure that all Americans are able to participate in our democracy. From barriers to prevent students from voting, like lack of access to early voting on campus, to targeted efforts to disenfranchise Black and Brown Americans, like the disenfranchisement of the previously incarcerated, our generation has watched as a concerted effort to deny full participation in our democracy has hindered necessary action on the issues that affect us most. Issues such as police reform, racial discrimination, and gun violence prevention have gone unaddressed as elected officials do not have to answer to the constituents most affected by their inaction.

As the generation that will be left to reckon with the consequences, we will not accept the status quo. We demand immediate action, including expansion of voter registration to include online and same-day voter registration, universal vote-by-mail and absentee voting, expanding early voting access, and universal enfranchisement for those with felony convictions. Today’s anniversary is a reminder that the fight for voting rights and full participation in our democracy continues.”

About the Voting Rights Act of 1965:

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is considered one of the most important and influential pieces of civil rights legislation of the last 100 years. The law enacted sweeping powers to the federal government to enforce changes to election laws across the country and banned many discriminatory laws and practices that had been designed to deny Black Americans their constitutional right to vote. Momentum for the law followed what’s known as ‘Bloody Sunday,’ when peaceful demonstrators marching from Selma to Montgomery were attacked by Alabama State Troopers as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The attack was widely covered by the American media and led President Lyndon Johnson to push for a bill to protect voting rights from racist and discriminatory laws and practices. President Johnson signed the bill on August 6, 1965, surrounded by civil rights leaders such as John Lewis, who was famously injured on Bloody Sunday, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The bill was instrumental in removing many barriers that had prevented generations of Black Americans from voting.

In 2013, the Supreme Court invalidated key portions of the 1965 law, stating “our country has changed.” Since this change, there have been numerous charges of certain laws and policies that result in voter suppression, that would have been banned and quickly remedied under the Act, highlighting the need for the restoration of this imperative law. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a measure that would restore the invalidated portions of the law, though comparable legislation has not been taken up by the Senate Majority.

About Voting Access Saves Lives:

The Voting Access Saves Lives campaign is a partnership between Brady, March For Our Lives and Team ENOUGH. The campaign and its accompanying report tailors recommendations to address historical inequities in our voting systems that have both purposefully and unintentionally disenfranchised people of color, particularly Black Americans, Native and Indigenous Americans, other minorities, lower income individuals, and individuals with disabilities, among many others. Ensuring that all of these voices are heard is vital to creating a society that addresses each of these communities’ needs and concerns, including gun violence.

The campaign emphasizes four key areas to increase access to the ballot and expand our democracy to include the voices of all Americans:

Vote by mail & absentee voting

Voter registration

Early voting

Restoration of voting rights

 

 

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

 

BRADY CALLS ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO REASSESS "OPERATION LEGEND" TO INCREASE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IN U.S. CITIES

Cities facing violent crime and gun violence need community investment, not more policing.

Washington, D.C., July 23, 2020 - Following President Trump’s announcement that he will send 200 federal agents to Chicago and 35 to Albuquerque as part of Operation LeGend, expanding the program beyond operations already existing in Kansas City, Brady urges the federal government to listen to impacted communities and local leaders rather than add federal policing to American cities. While Brady supports federal policies to address gun violence, this “surge” in policing does not accomplish that goal and has been rejected by local officials. Rather than engaging in more over-policing, the federal government should instead listen to experts, local officials, and those most affected by gun violence to identify and understand how to reduce gun violence in urban communities. The President has numerous options to act to prevent gun violence, including asking the Senate to send the bipartisan legislation already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to his desk for signature. Brady urges the Administration to seek solutions that prevent violence, rather than over-policing.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“At a time when there are serious concerns about public safety and policing in this country, especially in communities of color, it is beyond irresponsible for the President of the United States to ignore the voices of the people and the will of local officials and unilaterally send federal enforcement agents into American cities.

These agents will include members of the FBI, DEA and ATF, in addition to DHS agents and U.S. Marshals. Brady supports the goals of Operation LeGend, namely addressing gun violence and solving unsolved gun homicides. But, the tactics employed by the administration will likely have the opposite effect. Sadly, too, the President’s action is a naked attempt to politicize the daily violence that devastates communities of color, while emphasizing empty promises of ‘Law and Order’ over any real or meaningful solutions. The Mayor of Albuquerque stated it best, this ‘is not real crime fighting; it’s politics standing in the way of police work and makes us less safe.’

Brady and local governments have long requested federal assistance and resources for violence prevention - including assistance from the DEA, ATF, and FBI. But this operation is not what local governments have requested. If President Trump cared about reducing violence, he would coordinate with these cities and their leadership to fund programs that work with impacted communities and residents to prevent violence and reduce conflict. He would instruct Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass the two, bipartisan gun violence prevention bills, H.R.8 and H.R.1112, previously passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and now languishing in the Senate, to expand and strengthen background checks. He would ask Congress to increase funds for the ATF and remove restrictions that impede its work to help the bureau adequately inspect gun dealers and prevent gun trafficking.

Instead, the President has dispensed federal resources to cut a campaign ad. President Trump has made it clear throughout his presidency that he does not truly care about preventing gun violence. This is just the latest example.”


Operation LeGend is named for LeGend Taliferro, a 4-year-old boy who was killed by gunfire while asleep in his bed. Charron Powell, Taliferro’s mother, stated in the East Room of the White House yesterday that Operation LeGend “is to help investigate unsolved murders, in which one of those happens to be our innocent, four-year-old son.” Brady supports these goals but asks that the federal government re-examine the tactics deployed under this program. We need greater investment in communities and policies that prevent violence, not added policing.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

BRADY APPLAUDS THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR PASSING THE JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020

https://elections.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-house-of-representatives-justice-in-policing-act

Washington D.C., June 25, 2020 - Today, the Brady Campaign applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing for H.R. 7120, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. This bill, passed with bipartisan support, reforms policing tactics and permissible use of force, mandates transparency, and facilitates accountability to address the manifold defects in policing that enable and protect police violence. The bill will make communities safer and reduce the senseless acts of police violence across communities in the United States.

Brady President Kris Brown said:

"Once again the U.S. House of Representatives of the 116th Congress has taken action to address the concerns and needs of the American people. Passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 is a significant step towards preventing unjust, and potentially lethal, practices within policing. Though activists have demanded radical change to policing for years, for many across the country the events of the past month have shown why this bill is important and is a needed step forward.

Black and Brown Americans have called for these critical reforms for far too long, and Brady applauds the House for responding to the civil unrest witnessed these most recent painful months, and turning them into proactive change. This bill bears the name of George Floyd. It is too late to save his life, but we must dedicate our actions to correct the systemic injustices that led to his death in his name and the names of many other Black and Brown Americans - such as Breonna Taylor, whose killers still have not been charged over 100 days after she was shot to death by police in her home as she slept - who have been brutalized by police violence.

We now urge the U.S. Senate to emulate this leadership and take substantive steps to address police violence and reform the institution of policing. America is experiencing a once in a generation moment for social justice and our nation’s leaders must answer the call. This bill cannot be another marker in Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s legislative graveyard. Justice and accountability are not up for political debate. The Senate must pass this bill.”

The United States sees rates of police violence and officer-involved shootings at far higher rates than its peer countries. Nearly 1,100 people were killed by police in 2019, a number and rate far higher than in other, industrialized nations. While there is certainly a connection between high rates of police violence and high rates of gun violence in the United States, it is not a simple corollary. Police violence is inextricably linked to white supremacy in the United States, as American Indian/Alaska Native, Latinx, and especially Black Americans face numerous aggressions in their interaction with law enforcement than their white counterparts, each and every day.

Black men are 2.8 times more likely to be the victims of deadly police force than their white counterparts, while unarmed Black men are more than four times as likely to be shot and killed by police than their White peers. Similarly, Native Americans are 3.1 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans and, while they comprise just 0.8 percent of the total U.S. population, Native Americans are 1.9 percent of police-involved shooting fatalities.

Brady holds that police violence is the unlawful, unnecessary, or disproportionate use of force by police. Because police violence, in all of its forms, is facilitated by the direct use, threat, or perceived threat of firearms, not only to the victims but also bystanders with intent to intervene on their behalf, police violence is gun violence.

An end to police violence is not a single-issue solution. Racial bias in the country runs through almost every system in ways seen and unseen. Brady proudly supports the movements aimed at making the country a fairer and safer place. It is reflected in the actions of the House that they are taking active measures to echo the voice of many Americans. Brady once again commends the house for their actions and calls on the U.S. Senate to take up this bill and take action to reform our nation’s policing systems.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

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BRADY APPLAUDS THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY FOR PASSING A BILL REQUIRING MICROSTAMPING FOR SPECIFIC FIREARMS, A FORWARD-THINKING AND COMMON SENSE POLICY

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-california-microstamping-guns

Washington, D.C., June 11, 2020 - Today, Brady applauds the California Assembly for passing AB 2847, introduced by Assemblyman David Chiu (D – San Francisco), ensuring that new model handguns introduced into California incorporate microstamping technology, which creates a unique marking, a micro stamp, associated with each, individual weapon. These markings are then imprinted on casings when bullets are fired, connecting them to the gun that fired them. This technology will assist law enforcement in their effort to identify shooters and gun traffickers and apprehend them before they do more harm. Nationally, we have seen the rate of unsolved firearm assaults and homicides increase. Tools like microstamping are essential if we are to reverse that trend.

If we are to reduce gun violence, we must provide law enforcement with the best investigative tools possible. The same way that the introduction of DNA technology has revolutionized forensic science, microstamping technology has the potential to similarly revolutionize ballistic forensics. Brady supporters showed their support for this important policy, sending over 8,500 emails and driving nearly 500 calls to their legislators urging them to vote ‘Yes.’

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Microstamping is a much needed forensic tool that will allow law enforcement to use data and science to help solve gun crimes. California has led the way in gun violence prevention solutions for a generation - it should be obvious that microstamping is another such innovative policy that other states should take up. This is a common-sense solution. It creates more data for law enforcement to utilize and removes variables and guesswork that can often be affected by bias from investigations. A policy that supports law enforcement and helps to keep communities safe is a clear win-win. Despite this, the gun lobby has stalled this progress since 2007. Today’s action reverses that decades-long obstruction and sets California back on the path towards greater safety. Brady thanks the California Assembly for passing this bill, and Assemblyman Chiu for his leadership.”

Brady Program Manager Steve Lindley, the former Chief of the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms, shared:

“Microstamping aids law enforcement in their efforts to solve gun crimes, a goal shared by all Californians. Creating more data for solving gun crime builds upon California’s existing gun safety laws and is further evidence that the state’s science-based approach to preventing gun violence is working and is worth investing in. By ensuring that new semiautomatic pistols in California are equipped with this technology, we are creating a needed tracing system to ensure that when used in a crime these weapons are identifiable and the perpetrator brought to justice. We know that the majority of gun crimes go unsolved. Furthermore, we know that fatal shootings involving African Americans go unsolved at greater rates. Helping to solve these crimes ensures we are keeping all Californians safe and stopping cycles of violence from taking hold, creating a ripple effect of benefits to public safety and trust.”

Brady California Legislative Chair Amanda Wilcox shared:

“The common-sense updates to California’s Unsafe Handgun Act are needed and will help our state’s law enforcement to do their job and keep communities safe. We are grateful to Assemblyman Chiu for thoughtfully addressing the stated limits of gun manufacturers and crafting legislation that is practical, effective, and achievable. As Brady members around the state worked hard to enact this policy in 2007, today’s vote is a long-sought victory over the gun industry’s evasion. This bill will help to solve gun crimes across the state and to stop cycles of violence before they have the opportunity to take hold and metastasize.”

About AB 2847:

AB 2847 strengthens California’s Unsafe Handgun Act (UHA), which was passed in 1999 and established safety and quality standards for firearms manufactured and sold in California.

AB 2847 works to ensure that new model semi-automatic pistols introduced into California incorporate microstamping technology, which imprints a microscopic marking unique to that handgun on bullet cartridge casings when the gun is fired. When a cartridge is recovered at a crime scene, law enforcement then has access to the make, model, and other identifying information about the gun.

Microstamping requirements were included in a previous amendment to the UHA in 2007. The amendment included a requirement that all new semiautomatic pistol models incorporate microstamping technology in two places. The gun industry has effectively boycotted this safety law by refusing to develop and introduce any new handgun models for sale in California. Since 2013, when microstamping finally went into effect, no firearm manufacturer has submitted a handgun for certification that incorporates microstamping technology. Gun manufacturers claim they do not have the capacity to microstamp cartridges from two places on the interior of a firearm, as required under existing law, but have conceded that they are able to do so from one place.

AB 2847 addresses this concern and actually eases the requirement by mandating that newly developed semiautomatic pistol models engrave microstamping characters on just one place on the interior of the firearm. Gun manufacturers can easily, affordably, and feasibly comply with this mandate. This bill will likewise progressively reduce the availability of handguns that do not meet the existing UHA safety standards, gradually reducing the number of noncompliant weapons sold in California.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

BRADY JOINS OUTRAGE IN MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD, STATE-SPONSORED TERROR OF BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-outrage-murder-george-floyd-state-sponsored-terror-of-black-and-brown-communities

Washington, D.C., May 29, 2020 - Today, Brady joins Americans across the country in expressing outrage at the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent state-sponsored violence against those seeking accountability in his name. While the officer who was filmed killing George Floyd has now been arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter, Brady reiterates the need to confront the systemic racism that drives police violence and gun violence as a whole, and uplifts activists from the Minneapolis-St. Paul community as they demand tangible police and governance reform. It is too late to find true justice for George Floyd since his life was stolen, but those who murdered him must be brought to account and the structures of power that facilitated his death undone.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“George Floyd’s name now joins an ignominious and ever-growing list of Black and Brown Americans murdered by the state. We have seen, recently, the murder of several Black men and women by the police or in extra-judicial killings captivate the media and nation, though we know too that there are many other names that have joined that list in recent days that have received little attention but should have. It is too late to bring them justice, but it is not too late to actively tear down the racist power structures that resulted in their death.

As a white woman, and as the head of a national organization with historically white leadership, Brady and I, along with all white Americans, must be candid in acknowledging our privilege and role in a society founded on white supremacy, and we must be clear in our responsibility to challenge that ideology and align with those working to build a just and equal society. For many white Americans, this realization is an essential first step towards being true friends in solidarity, not merely ‘allies.’ I speak personally when I say I know this is an ongoing process, but it is one that we must commit to with our whole selves if we truly believe in equity and justice. I know that I am not alone in asking ‘what can I do?’ and I am committed to listening to the many people working on the ground to create a more equal society and uplifting their work, needs and voices. There have been many resources circulating on how white Americans can engage and be actively anti-racist, including this list from Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein. These are all vital self-education tools, which I will continue to digest in the days to come as we continue to confront the need for immediate change in our society.”

Black and Brown Americans face gun violence and police violence at disproportionately high rates. While Black Americans are only 13 percent of the U.S. population, they are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans and constitute 31 percent of all police-involved fatalities. This reality and the fact that Black Americans face disproportionate rates of gun violence result from the same racist policies and structures that drive inequality and disparity for minority communities across numerous outcomes. To speak to police violence requires acknowledging systemic racism in our country. To seek to end police violence requires addressing systemic racism. They are inseparable.

Brady Constitutional Litigation Counsel Kelly Sampson shared:

“George Floyd’s murder and the ensuing outcry for justice amplifies a centuries-old issue in America — that systemic racism necessarily devalues Black people’s lives. We can only rightly understand what happened to George Floyd, what is happening in cities all over the country, and what will or will not happen to the officers involved in this case, if we understand the context. Black Americans are facing higher rates of police violence, COVID-19 deaths, and gun violence in 2020 because the country has never truly addressed the systemic racism set in motion in 1619. George Floyd lived in a country that did not recognize, value, or protect his life. To honor him and to prevent further violence — whether it results directly from state commission, as we see with police violence, or indirectly from state omission, as we see with the so-called ‘daily violence’ that plagues Black and Brown neighborhoods suffering from decades of disinvestment, discrimination, segregation, and lax gun policy — we join with community activists in Minnesota in calling for real change to reduce inequality.

Since systemic racism did not start with the four officers involved, these calls for justice will not stop, even if all those officers responsible for this murder are arrested; they won’t end when an inquiry is called into the Minneapolis police force’s tactics during this period of unrest; nor will they end when the local government has committed to working with affected communities to create new paths forward and rebuild trust; they can only end when all Americans are committed to unmaking racist systems that continue to kill Black and Brown people.”

Though a gun was not used to murder George Floyd, it is vital to recognize that police violence is inextricably linked to gun violence. Police violence is gun violence. The militarization of police forces across the country and the imbalance of power created by armed officers and vulnerable citizens demands attention from policy makers and gun violence prevention activists alike. That imbalance of power too often and too clearly threatens and oppresses Black and Brown people across the country. Systemic racism and white supremacy, when combined with militaristic policing, is pestilential, and it is killing our people. We have seen in just the past few months numerous high-profile cases where this policing has resulted in the death of Black and Brown Americans.

We have also seen vastly different responses to these events unfold in the inflammatory tweets put out by President Trump last night — where he called protestors ‘thugs’ and threatened his own citizens with gun violence — in contrast to his praise of a mob of largely white protestors who stormed the Michigan capitol fully armed for battle. He called those people “very good people.” The contrast he intends to draw is clear. This violence, racism, and facile leadership stands in contrast to the many national voices that have spoken clearly about the racist systems that facilitated George Floyd’s murder. That is of course in stark contrast to former Vice President Biden today, where he called for an end to “complacency” and for a “hard look” at “uncomfortable truths.” What he understands in his statement is that systemic racism is itself a violent life denying structure and it is never a surprise when the reaction to such violent structures is violence. We want to stop the violence at its root. To do that, we must take a comprehensive approach across Congress, courts, and communities — recognizing that for these issues to change major structural reforms are necessary.

The election in November is an opportunity to vote out a President who engages in divisive rhetoric and inflames racial tension. To be clear, a single election alone will not solve this. All of us must commit to reforming the racists systems built over the hundreds of years in our own lives, homes, communities, places of worship, work, states and nation. Brady joins with many around the country in expressing outrage at the events of the past week, demanding justice in Minnesota, and dedicates itself to renewed action and attention to the need to combat racism and actively dismantle racist power structures.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

BRADY CALLS FOR ACTION TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE FOLLOWING SHOOTING IN GLENDALE, ARIZONA MALL

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-action-prevent-gun-violence-shooting-glendale-arizona-mall

Washington, D.C., May 21, 2020 – Following widespread coverage of a shooting at the Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale, Arizona, Brady calls for action to prevent gun violence amid ongoing gun violence in every state across the country. Despite shutdown orders across the country, shootings have continued, and in many cities and areas have increased, further straining healthcare systems already taxed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“Last night three individuals were shot while walking in an outdoor mall in Arizona. While many media outlets covered this shooting, also last night two people were shot in Shreveport, Louisiana; a man in his twenties was murdered and a young boy shot at a taco stand in Glendale, California; a man was killed on a street corner in Orlando, Florida; two individuals, one a teenager, were injured in a drive-by shooting in Augusta, Georgia; an individual was shot in James Island in Charleston County, South Carolina.

In short, it was another Wednesday night in the United States of America. Gun violence is not taking a holiday during this pandemic, and we have more people at home with loaded and unsecured guns than ever before.

While the shooting in Arizona last night attracted the most attention, over 100 people die from gun violenceacross the country every day. We need decisive action to help stop this crisis, and that means nationwide expanded background checks, extreme risk laws to allow removal of guns from at-risk individuals and a renewed assault weapons ban, among other policies. We have the answers, but we need to elect more leaders who put people ahead of gun industry profits.”

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

BRADY APPLAUDS 9TH CIRCUIT FOR REINSTATING CALIFORNIA'S AMMUNITION BACKGROUND CHECK LAW DURING APPEAL

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-ninth-circuit-reinstating-california-ammunition-background-check-law

Washington, D.C., May 15, 2020 – Today, Brady applauds the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for staying a preliminary injunction issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of California in Rhodes v. Becerra.

The injunction, issued on April 24, 2020, suspended a 2019 law requiring a background check on ammunition purchases in California. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra requested a temporary stay of that injunction on the same day, noting that allowing the background check law to remain in place would “cause no significant harm to plaintiffs, who have been living with the status quo for 10 months” and would “promote public safety by preventing prohibited persons from easily purchasing ammunition over the internet or from their local vendor.”

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“We are pleased that the Ninth Circuit has kept California’s background check on ammunition law in place while it reviews the trial court decision.

In just 10 months since this law has been in effect, over 750 individuals who cannot legally purchase firearms were also barred from attempts to purchase ammunition. It is clear that this law is working to stop individuals who should not have guns from buying ammunition for guns they cannot legally possess, and skirting the law. This law is working. It is keeping Californians safe.

We hope this is the first step towards undoing an incorrect and dangerous decision that sought to vastly expand the Second Amendment beyond its intended reach, and deprive Californians of their right to have the strong public safety laws they want and need to protect against gun violence. Californians demanded this law because it fixes a public safety loophole that allows individuals prohibited from purchasing firearms under the law to nevertheless continue to purchase ammunition, even when it is clear that they are denied firearm purchases because they cannot pass a federal Brady background check.

Brady remains confident that this law will be upheld on appeal because decades of precedent and public safety laws are on our side. In the meantime, we applaud the action by the Court of Appeals in staying the injunction of this law and ensuring that public safety is prioritized.”

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

BRADY CELEBRATES THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MILLION MOM MARCH, A WATERSHED MOMENT IN THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION MOVEMENT

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-celebrates-20th-anniversary-of-the-million-mom-march-gun-violence-prevention-movement

Washington D.C., May 14, 2020 - Today, Brady celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Million Mom March and the two decades of activism it inspired that has helped to make our communities and children safer. The Million Mom March was the largest non-violent protest to take place on the National Mall in United States history at the time, with over 750,000 people on the National Mall and thousands more across the country gathering to call for an end to gun violence. It was truly a Million Mom March with a call to action that didn’t end when the crowds dispersed.

In the 20 years since, Million Mom Marchers across the country have carried the torch of activism and civic engagement lit by the March with them, helping to pass gun safety laws in their local communities, states, and in the halls of Congress. These Marchers are the leaders of today, with over fifteen former Marchers currently serving in Congress, all of whom have made gun violence prevention a priority. Other Marchers have gone on to champion gun safety in their states, such as Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, the first woman Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, who this year helped to pass the most meaningful gun violence prevention laws that Virginia has seen in a generation.

Million Mom March Founder Donna Dees-Thomases shared:

“The success of the Million Mom March is directly attributable to thousands of selfless heroes, many of whom went unsung, but without whom we would not have succeeded. From the Rev. James Atwood of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, who organized the faith-based community for the march, to the activists of the NAACP, who taught us novices how to fill a bus, the most valuable lesson I learned during the nine months of organizing the Million Mom March was that nothing succeeds in any movement without a diverse, broad coalition of committed citizens. In the years since, we’ve seen that the same intense and unrelenting commitment to coalition building is required to reach the March's ultimate goal: ensuring that our children’s lives are never extinguished by gun violence. Since May 2000, those Marchers have built those coalitions and continued to agitate for that goal. I’m proud to stand witness to their work and to share in this movement with them.”

For the past two decades, Marchers have carried the March’s call forward, even in the face of determined efforts to advance the profits within the gun industry at the expense of our children and communities. For example, in 2001 a death threat against Million Mom Marchers forced the cancellation of a rally to celebrate the bipartisan passage of gun laws by the state of New York. The undeterred organizers sought and secured the arrest of the individual behind the death threat, and then relocated the celebration to White Plains from Albany to honor newly-elected U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and New York Governor George Pataki, who championed and signed these gun reform laws three months after the Million Mom March.

But the work catalyzed by the Million Mom March and carried forward by its participants is not finished. In 2001, the Million Mom March merged with Brady. Marchers and Brady members across the country are dedicated to treating gun violence as a public health epidemic and work tirelessly to reduce the number of children and teens who are shot every day in America from 21 to zero.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“In the summer of 1999, Donna Dees-Thomases applied for a permit to march on Washington, D.C., after seeing a sight now too familiar for all Americans: images of our children and teens fleeing from gun violence on their TV screens. I was on the National Mall with my own mother marching with all of the other mothers and children who came to Washington, D.C., on Mother’s Day 2000, and today, as a mother, I continue to fight for all Americans to live free from the threat of gun violence. The spark that the Million Mom March lit in millions of activists nationwide, including myself, burns strong today, with Marchers working to make our communities safer across the country and their children taking up the mantle to demand an end to daily gun violence. I am proud to have passed that torch of activism to my two daughters, who joined in-school walkouts in the last year to protest gun violence. Twenty years later, the Million Mom March has shown that when we band together and work across generations and communities, we are a strong, unstoppable force that not only demands action, but also achieves it.”

Prominent Activities from Former Marchers Over the Last 20 Years Include:

2001: In just one year, the 236 chapters of the Million Mom March helped to pass multiple gun violence prevention laws across the country, including SB 199 in Texas, which made it illegal for those under final protective order for family violence and those convicted of family violence crimes to possess guns.

2002: Marchers across the country worked with partners to defeat concealed carry bills in fourteen states. In April that same year, Marchers across the country partnered with the Alliance for Justice to protest H&R Block’s promotion with the NRA by threatening to boycott tax preparers' offices on April 15. H&R Block ended that promotion.

2003: Million Mom March volunteers Griffin Dix and State Sen. Jack Scott both advocated for a California law requiring new models of semi-automatic handguns to have a safety device in honor of their sons, both of whom were fatally shot in unintentional shootings.

2004: Million Mom March chapters across the country recruited a coalition of more than 275 consumer, children’s, civil rights, domestic violence, faith-based, law enforcement, and gun violence prevention organizations, to send letters to all 535 members of Congress demanding the renewal of the federal assault weapons ban. Marchers held a rally on Capitol Hill on Mother’s Day 2004, May 9, sponsored by Essence Magazine, and then lobbied representatives alongside their children the next day, delivering more than 200,000 cards in wagons from constituents to congressional offices. Despite support from President George W. Bush, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert refused to bring the renewal up for a vote.

2005: Marchers partnered with the Illinois Council for Gun Violence Prevention to pass legislation in the Illinois legislature to close the state’s gun show loophole.

2006: California’s Gun Design Safety law, which Marchers helped pass in 2003, went into effect, requiring new semi-automatic handgun models sold in the state to have either a clear loaded chamber indicator or a magazine disconnect.

2007: Marchers partnered with Protect Easy Guns to hold nationwide lie-ins to call for stricter gun laws following the tragic mass shooting at Virginia Tech. Public reaction to the shooting led to a new federal law "ensur[ing] that disqualifying mental health records be uploaded into the National Background Check System to bar persons who had been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility from legally purchasing firearms."

2009: Marchers and Ceasefire New Jersey successfully helped pass a law limiting handgun sales to one a month. Limiting handgun sales to one a month reduces incidents of gun trafficking and has remained a priority for Marchers and the gun violence prevention movement.

2010: Marchers launched the ‘Starbucks Campaign’ in response to the threat of a movement to openly carry firearms in places such as Starbucks. The campaign collected more than 30,000 signatures calling for the ban of open carry and convinced Peet’s Coffee, California Pizza, and others to ban open carry in their stores nationwide.

2011: California Marchers and other local gun violence prevention allies helped to pass a law banning the open carry of handguns in the state.

2012: Following the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Marchers in Michigan pressured Governor Rick Snyder to veto a bill that would have nullified prohibitions on carrying firearms in specific locations, such as schools and churches.

2013: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the SAFE Act following pressure from Marchers in New York and New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

2014: Following the mass shooting at the University of Southern California, Santa Barbara, Brady and Marchers in California successfully pressured Governor Jerry Brown to sign AB 1014, the “gun violence restraining order,” which gives families and law enforcement a needed tool to reduce gun violence.

2015: Marchers and Brady recommitted to promoting the ASK Campaign, which was launched on the National Mall at the Million Mom March. The Government Accounting Organization validated the work of mothers and others everywhere in 2017, citing the ASK Campaign as the most effective national safe storage awareness program.

2018: Following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the March for Our Lives protest in March 2018 surpassed the Million Mom March as the largest gun violence protest in American history. That November, Marchers Mary Gay Scanlon and Madeleine Dean were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

2019: Following pressure from a broad coalition of advocates led by Marcher Donna Finkelstein, the mother of Mindy Finkelstein, who was shot at a Jewish community center in 1999 when she was 16, the Los Angeles School Board unanimously endorsed a safe storage resolution asking parents to attest that any firearms they own are safely stored.

2020: Million Mom Marcher Eileen Filler-Corn became the first woman to serve as the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. Former Marchers Brady North Virginia President Martina Leinz, Brady President Kris Brown, and Virginia Delegate Kathleen Murphy were united in pushing for this legislation.

Dees-Thomases added:

“Although I never spoke on stage at the Million Mom March, I frequently credit Sarah Brady with the most important line of the day: ‘If we can’t get the lawmakers to change the laws, then come November we must change the lawmakers.’ Never has a battle cry been more relevant and critical than it is today, as we see continued recalcitrance on Capitol Hill and in State Houses across the country, despite the fact that real solutions exist that can stop the epidemic of gun violence in communities everywhere. We carry Sarah Brady’s message forward today just as we did 20 years ago, and we can expect it to continue to compel action until gun violence is no more.”
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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

BRADY JOINS IN CALLS FOR JUSTICE IN THE NAME OF BREONNA TAYLOR

https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/brady-calls-for-justice-breonna-taylor

Washington, D.C., May 13, 2020 – Today, Brady joins the calls for justice in the name of Breonna Taylor, who was killed in her home by police in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13. The officers involved in the shooting have not been charged. Brady echoes her family and community’s demands for justice and calls for a full, transparent, and independent investigation into her death. No person in the United States should be awoken, shot, and killed by the police in their home.

Brady Constitutional Litigation Counsel Kelly Sampson shared:

“Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old Black woman who was shot to death by the police in her home. While we do not know all of the facts, there is one clear truth: Breonna Taylor should be alive today. We cannot let her become just another statistic, another name of another Black American shot and killed, who should not have been. There must be accountability for those who killed her. And there must, finally, be change in this country.

Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans and while we are 13 percent of the U.S. population, we are 31 percent of all police-involved fatalities. These statistics act as a reminder of the disproportionate impact of police violence on Black Americans. But Breonna Taylor was not a statistic. She was an EMT, an essential worker saving members of her community. She was a daughter and a sister. She was a human being. And we must say her name.

Breonna’s family and loved ones have worked for almost two months to ensure that her story is not lost. Brady joins them in that effort and echoes their call for justice.

We should all demand clear answers as to why the police entered her apartment in the middle of the night to serve a search warrant in a narcotics investigation when the subject of the warrant did not live at Taylor’s address and was already detained. An investigation must explain why officers did not knock or announce themselves and, when faced with the residents of the apartment defending themselves, fired 20 rounds into the apartment.”

On March 13, Breonna Taylor was shot and killed by police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky. Three police officers entered her apartment around 1:00 a.m. to serve a search warrant in a narcotics case. While facts in this case continue to emerge, the subject of the warrant did not live in Taylor’s building and had already been detained by law enforcement when the officers entered Taylor’s apartment. Similarly, no narcotics were found in the apartment.

When the officers entered the apartment, they did so without knocking and without identifying themselves as law enforcement. Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were asleep and awoke when the officers entered. Believing that their apartment was being broken into, Walker used his licensed firearm to fire at the intruders. The officers returned fire, shooting 20 rounds in the apartment and killing Taylor.

In the two months since the event, Kenneth Walker has been charged with first-degree assault and attempted murder of a police officer; the Louisville Police Department has initiated a public integrity investigation into the events; and the officers responsible for the shooting have not been charged.
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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.

GIVEN CONTINUED SURGE IN GUN BACKGROUND CHECKS, 

BRADY CALLS FOR ATTENTION TO SAFE STORAGE PRACTICES 

TO PREVENT FAMILY FIRE

Washington, D.C., May 4, 2020 - Today, following the release of the latest data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) showing that background checks in April were up nearly 25 percent above April 2019, Brady urges continued attention to safe storage practices. Safe storage is a proven and essential tool to prevent family fire, which includes unintentional shootings and suicides.

According to the FBI’s NICS data, there were 2,911,128 background checks initiated in April 2020. This increase follows the unprecedented surge in background checks in March 2020, where there were 3,740,688 initiated nationwide, a 41 percent increase over March 2019 and the highest number of background checks initiated in a single month since the FBI’s NICS system was created in 1998.

Brady President Kris Brown shared:

“The number of background checks performed in April shows that across the country large numbers of Americans have continued to purchase firearms likely because of fear caused by the coronavirus pandemic and that there are millions of new guns in homes across the country.

With this reality, it is essential that all gun owners, particularly new gun owners, adhere to safe storage practices. Ensuring that guns are stored properly, meaning locked, unloaded, with ammunition stored separately, is a proven way to prevent unintentional shootings, part of what’s known as ‘family fire.’ Approximately 478 people die every year from unintentional shootings, while eight children and teens are killed or injured by unintentional shootings every day. Right now, with tens of millions of school-age children at home due to the pandemic, that risk is especially acute.

We are all dealing with extreme stress and uncertainty from this pandemic. During this time it is especially essential to recognize the link between guns in the home and a lethal outcome in a suicide attempt, and ensure we are all implementing proven solutions to save lives. In April, texts to the federal government’s disaster distress hotline increased by more than 1,000 percent over April 2019. We know that access to a firearm increases the risk of a fatal outcome in a suicide attempt by 300 percent. Locking firearms securely provides a needed barrier and time for an individual in crisis to seek help and reduces the likelihood of what is often a temporary crisis becoming a permanent tragedy.

Outside of the home, it is a sad reality that many communities continue to face the threat of gun violence every day, despite stay-at-home orders and other social-distancing precautions. That shootings continue during this crisis, putting further strain on our health systems as they attempt to treat victims of coronavirus, shows the pressing need for our nation to address gun violence. It begs the question of what will happen to these weapons when this pandemic is over and how cities, states and the federal government will work to stop this uniquely American epidemic when this pandemic is over.”

Facts About Gun Ownership in America:

According to Pew Research, two thirds of gun owners in the United States say protection is a major reason why they own a firearm. Pew’s survey shows that:

67 percent of gun owners cited protection as a major reason why they own a firearm
38 percent of gun owners cited hunting as a major reason why they own a firearm
48 percent of rural gun owners cited hunting as a major reason why they own a firearm compared to 34 percent of suburban gun owners and 27 percent of urban gun owners
30 percent cited sport shooting as a major reason why they own a firearm
13 percent cited gun collecting as a major reason why they own a firearm
8 percent cited their jobs as a major reason why they own a firearm
Facts About Unintentional Shootings:

Every day, 8 children and teens are unintentionally injured or killed due to an unlocked or unsupervised gun in the home.
4.6 million children live in homes with access to an unlocked or unsupervised gun.
A relatively modest increase in safe storage — locking all household firearms — could reduce firearm suicide and unintentional firearm fatalities among youth by up to 32%.
Keeping guns locked and unloaded reduces the risk of unintentional shooting deaths and gun suicides among youth by 73 percent.
Facts About Guns and Suicide Lethality:

Access to a gun in the home increases the risk of death by suicide by 300 percent.
There were 24,432 deaths by suicide using a firearm in 2018.
Suicide by firearm constitutes not only the majority of suicide deaths , but also the majority of gun deaths in the United States.
For minors who have used a firearm in a suicide attempt, 82 percent used a firearm belonging to a family member, and 64 percent of those guns were stored unlocked.
While less than 10 percent of all suicidal attempts are fatal, 90 percent of those involving a firearm end in death.
Gun owners who stored their firearms locked or unloaded were at least 60 percent less likely to die from firearm related suicide than owners who store their firearms unlocked and/or loaded.
For mental health resources during this pandemic, please visit the Pandemic Crisis Services Response Coalition: https://www.covidmentalhealthsupport.org

For those in crisis, help is available no matter what you are going through today. Please call the free and confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741.

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.