15 States Have Strengthened Gun Laws Since Newtown Shooting

The GVP Report - March 18, 2014
In The News ► 15 states plus D.C. strengthened their gun laws in the year following the Newtown shooting. "Contrary to popular belief, the tragic loss at Sandy Hook led to a number of significant policy developments," says Daniel Webster, ScD, MPH, of Johns Hopkins. New data, research and developments can be found in Updated Evidence and Policy Developments on Reducing Gun Violence in America from Johns Hopkins press. ► Andrew Solomon, The New Yorker, The Reckoning: The father of the Sandy Hook killer searches for answers. "You can't mourn for the little boy he once was. You can't fool yourself," said Peter Lanza. ► Seattle Times, Shooting Accidents Soar; State Gun Laws Remain Unchanged. In 2012, more Washington state residents were seriously hurt in unintentional shootings than in any year since 1995. Yet despite a public outcry and promises by lawmakers to take action, no gun safety laws have changed. ► Rye Brook, NY Police Department joins effort to encourage gun manufacturers to play a part in reducing gun violence. The police department has resolved to review future firearm purchases so that it considers manufacturers who employ responsible gun distribution practices. ► Gun Violence Aimed at Black Males Triggers Concern. Several new studies confirm what most people have suspected all along: No group is harmed more by gun violence than young Black males. ► U.S. Supreme Court refuses to halt Sunnyvale, CA's enforcement of a voter approved ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines. The Court denied an emergency request by the NRA to block the city ordinance. ► President Obama asks Congress for $182 million to prevent gun violence. The proposals are part of the budget package and include money for gun safety programs, inspections of retailers, research and pilot projects.  Community Support ► The Young Turks, Are You Afraid We Might Shoot You?  Good, Says Pro-Gun Lobbyist. Larry Pratt, Gun Owners of America, is "kinda glad" that politicians are fearful of being shot. ►NY Times Editorial, Craven Statehouse Behavior. A Georgia bill would allow a convicted felon who kills someone with an illegally possessed gun to seek justification under the state's Stand Your Ground/Shoot First law. ► MarketWatch, 10 Things the Gun Industry Won't Tell You. 1. Owning our product may be hazardous to your health. 2. Fear is good for our bottom line. 3. Guns get special treatment under the law. 4. We want your kids to play with guns. ► David Waldman, Daily Kos, GunFAIL LX, Welcome to Hooters! Is that a gun in your pants, or.... An extraordinarily tough week for the kids this time around, with 13 unintentionally shot, and  a number of very young ones among the victims. ► Topher McDougal and Robert Muggah, Firearms Industry Benefits from America's Gun Violence. While citizens bear the costs, it is ultimately the manufacturers, retailers, and marketers that profit from the country's tsunami of gun violence. ► Cosmopolitan Magazine, I Survived a Campus Shooting. Maria Ruiz-Santana was one of the 26 people shot at Northern Illinois University in 2008. She is now Officer Maria, one of a handful of women on the force. ► Media Matters, The New York Times' Tired Political Analysis on Stronger Gun Laws. Since the 1994 election, the media have baselessly claimed that an all-powerful NRA will motivate angry voters to defeat candidates who defy them. But little evidence shows guns are an electoral loser for Democrats. ► Sarah Clements and Ronnie Mosley, Generation Progress, Our Generations' Greatest Fight:  A Future Free From Gun Violence. We believe that our generation's struggle, our question longing for an answer, is whether we can succeed in stopping gun violence, in making our communities safer for our own children. What the Gun Lobby is Doing ► NRA Tries to Sink Surgeon General Nominee. The NRA is opposing President Obama's nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, telling Senators they will "score" the vote on Murthy's confirmation. But Media Matters points out what conservatives get wrong in their smear campaign against Dr. Murthy. ► The Arizona House of Representatives spent several hours this week debating five pro-gun bills Democrats say are unnecessary and a waste of time. One bill would allow authorities to charge a person accused of taking someone's gun, but doing so is already a felony offense. ► Wayne LaPierre, Executive VP of the NRA, spoke at the recent conservative convention CPAC. He told the audience that "there is no greater freedom than the right to survive, to protect our families with all the rifles, shotguns and handguns we want." ► NY Daily News reports that a Troy, NY pastor is holding a church raffle for an AR-15-type rifle and the Kentucky Baptist Convention is reaching out to 'unchurched' young men by offering free steak dinners and a chance to win a gun.		Blogs Joan Peterson, Common GunSense, Can we change hearts and minds? Protest Easy Guns, Gunshine State weekly listing 3.10 Josh Horwitz, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Gun advocates should work to make guns safer Armed With Reason, Why are they punishing me? Gun control: pragmatism, not punishment Cathie Whittenburg, Ohh Shoot Blog, 9-year-old shot by neighbor target practicing in his yard Advocacy ► Team 26 rode 400 miles from Newtown to D.C., stopping at rallies along the way, to show unity for sensible gun violence prevention. ► Brady Center Legal Action Project files lawsuit against gun dealer who sold gun to mentally ill woman. Woman used gun to kill her father. ► Stephen Dunlop, Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence, op-ed: Guns on campus increases risk of violence. ► National Gun Victims Action Council launches twice monthly radio show, IT'S THE GUNS, STUPID. ► Alexandria Bodden joins New Yorkers Against Gun Violence to push for a law that would require safe gun storage. ► Violence Policy Center, Research shows dangers of recent court decision weakening California concealed carry handgun law.  ► Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus responds to Idaho Governor Otter's signing of guns on campus bill. ► Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, President Obama creates new executive action to strengthen gun background checks. ► Shira Goodman, CeaseFire PA, joins community panel discussion on gun violence prevention. ► Moms Demand Action, Moms Make Facebook Safer: Nine ways Facebook agreed to crack down on illegal gun sales. ► Stop Handgun Violence, What do bread, butter and bullets all have in common? Join in boycotting Shaw's market. ► More than 350 people attended Connecticut Against Gun Violence Benefit Luncheon helping to make the event a huge success. Worst of the Week 19-year-old Ashton Sachs, of San Juan Capistrano, CA, has been charged with killing his parents and shooting his 8-year-old brother. According to reports, Sachs shot his parents in their bedroom, then shot his younger brother. The 8-year-old boy has been paralyzed as a result of the gunshot and is still in the hospital.