“In the aftermath of especially horrific mass shootings, many people — including many elected leaders — will claim that nothing can be done, that strengthening gun laws is politically unfeasible so we might as well save our breath. Others will blame mental illness, despite the fact that people with mental illness are far more likely to be the victims of gun violence than the perpetrators.

But we are not doomed to repeat this same cycle of thoughts, prayers and inaction. I know this because I have been working since 2014 for commonsense laws in Washington state that will keep our communities safe and prevent other families from ever having to experience what my family has. And we have made so much progress since then.”

Read the full piece from Jane Weiss in The Everett Herald.