In the wake of COVID-19 and historic calls for racial justice and police accountability, the Alliance proposes opportunities for critical, achievable legislative action 

SEATTLE, WA – The Alliance for Gun Responsibility released its 2021 legislative agenda today. The agenda reflects many of the pressing challenges that emerged in 2020, particularly the coronavirus crisis, historic calls for racial justice and police accountability, and the rise in armed intimidation. 

The economic and social hardships brought on by the pandemic continue to expose and exacerbate existing risks of gun violence. At the same time, gun sales reach record highs month after month. The devastating impacts of these trends are already clear: domestic violence homicides are spiking, community gun violence is surging, mass shootings have broken records, and experts are sounding alarms about a suicide crisis. This year, high-profile police shootings also highlighted the continued need to root out the racism and inequity at the heart of our criminal justice system. 

“The need to address the gun violence epidemic is growing more urgent amid the challenges of 2020,” said Renée Hopkins, CEO of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. “The COVID-19 crisis is increasing the risk of every type of gun violence from suicide to mass shootings to unintentional shootings. We need action on gun safety to keep our communities safe as we weather the rest of the pandemic and begin to recover.  

“We have made significant progress in recent years, enacting effective, evidence-based gun responsibility policies. We cannot afford to forfeit that progress or pause this lifesaving work. We must build on the steps we have taken by closing lethal loopholes, keeping deadly accessories out of dangerous hands, preventing intimidation by firearm, and addressing much needed reform  in policing. We recognize that our elected officials are confronting unprecedented challenges in a legislative session unlike any other. We are counting on them to recognize the urgency of gun violence prevention as we chart a path forward.”  

The agenda includes a range of policies that focus on protecting and strengthening existing gun violence prevention policies and supporting communities most impacted by gun violence. Highlights include:

• Restricting access to high-capacity magazines
• Limiting intimidation from the open carry of firearms 
• Addressing inequity and bias in policing 
• Protecting investments in gun violence prevention
  

The full 2021 Gun Responsibility Agenda is available here: https://gunresponsibility.org/2021-policy-agenda/

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