Week in Review

November 3, 2017

CONGRESS CONTINUES TO PASS THE BUCK ON BUMP STOCKS: One month after the worst mass shooting in modern American history, federal lawmakers have yet to turn their words into action and address the role that bump stocks played in the massacre. Despite another bipartisan bill introduced on Tuesday to regulate the dangerous devices, we’ve yet to see Congress move forward with a plan to take action on these legislative proposals.

A fiery piece by the USA Today Editorial Board called out the federal inaction, saying: “spineless lawmakers have done exactly what the gun lobby wants. Absolutely nothing.” Meanwhile, Politico reported that the bump stock maker that temporarily suspended sales of bump stocks after the shooting in Vegas last month restarted sales on November 1.
Giffords and SiX ACTION announced on Tuesday they’re taking the bump stock fight to the states, releasing a state legislative toolkit and urging state lawmakers to lead the way by introducing bump stock bills. Progress in the states is already evident – on Thursday night, Massachusetts lawmakers approved a bump stock ban. The ban is expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and will make Massachusetts the first state to pass a bump stock ban since the shooting in Vegas.

GUN SAFETY ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Just days before the election, gun safety advocates and candidates continue to talk about the importance of addressing gun violence as a key campaign issue.

Virginia: Earlier this week, Giffords PAC released a new radio ad highlighting the difference between the two Virginia gubernatorial candidates on the issue of gun safety, and called on voters to elect Ralph Northam on November 7. The spot features clips of former President Barack Obama talking about the devastating toll gun violence is having on our communities.
New Jersey: On Thursday, Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly joined New Jersey Gubernatorial Candidate Phil Murphy on the campaign trail in New Jersey to talk about taking action on gun safety.
In Cities Across the Country: Electing mayors committed to combating gun violence is also an important part of building safer communities, which is why earlier this week Giffords announced endorsements for Jenny Durkan (Seattle, WA); Tim Keller (Albuquerque, NM); Marty Walsh (Boston, MA).

KEEPING GUNS AWAY FROM DOMESTIC ABUSERS: Domestic violence and guns are a lethal combination, yet far too many domestic abusers are still able to easily access firearms.

GVP advocates praised Congressman Costello and Congresswoman Rice for introducing a bipartisan bill requiring states to fully upload domestic violence records into the background check system.
In this week’s edition of Full Frontal, Samantha Bee highlighted research from Everytown for Gun Safety and calls out federal lawmakers for failing to close the boyfriend loophole, that still gives domestic abusers easy access firearms.

GUN OWNERS JOIN THE FIGHT FOR GVP: Every week, more gun owners are speaking out against the NRA and speaking up about the importance of taking action to make our communities safer from gun violence.

Washington state city council member and gun owner Mike Nelson published an op-ed this week highlighting the correlation between higher rates of gun ownership and more gun deaths. In his piece, he outlines how unsecured firearms contribute to gun violence and stresses the importance of reporting stolen guns.
In a new Now This video released this week, three marines explain the various reasons they’ve quit the NRA and argue why it’s time to talk about gun violence and what we can do to stop it.

ABC News — US Rate for Gun Deaths Increases for Second Straight Year : A CDC report shows the U.S. rate of gun deaths has increased for the second straight year, following 15 years of no real change. Overall, there were more than 38,000 gun deaths last year. That’s up from about 36,000 in 2015, and around 33,500 each year between 2011 and 2014.
Tampa Bay Times — Unlocked and Loaded : The Tampa Bay Times and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting spent 10 months examining thousands of law enforcement records to chronicle the extent of the stolen gun problem in the state. Those guns turn up in the hands of drug dealers and felons. Some wind up killing people. Since 2007, at least 82,000 guns have been reported stolen and never found. In Tampa Bay alone, at least 9,000 stolen guns are missing.
Washington Post — How Could the Supreme Court Change Gun Laws? By Ending Gerrymandering : Professors Mark S. Kaplan and Adam Winkler explain how gerrymandering has contributed to inaction on gun safety in Congress, but a major case pending before the Supreme Court could change that. If the Supreme Court rules that partisan gerrymandering violates the Constitution, we may see less extreme candidates elected to Congress — and may finally be able to break the logjam on guns.
FiveThirtyEight — First FBI Crime Report Issued by Trump Missing Tons of Information : According to a FiveThirtyEight analysis, the 2016 Crime in the US report contains close to 70 percent fewer data tables than the 2015 version, a removal that could affect analysts’ understanding of crime trends in the country, and limits access to high-quality data that could help inform solutions. This also means researchers can no longer easily identify the number of children murdered by firearms in a given year, among other things.
The Independent — Home Depot’s Truck Rental Policy Tougher Than Most Gun Laws : Some people mockingly suggested stricter rental truck control in the wake of a terror attack that killed 8 people on Tuesday in New York City, but many gun laws in the US have even fewer restrictions than Home Depot’s truck rental policy. To rent a flatbed truck, someone must be at least 21 years old, have a current US or Canadian driver’s license, and give a $50 deposit. For some rentals, proof of automobile insurance is also required. By contrast, in 36 states in the US, there are no legal requirements for gun registration, no permit needed, and no license necessary to purchase and possess a firearm.

Trauma Surgeon Studies Gun Violence Stats — And Was One: After being shot in high school, Joseph Sakran was inspired to become a surgeon and work to improve gun safety. He and his colleagues at John Hopkins University School of Medicine use data to tailor interventions to help minimize gun violence. One roadblock is Congress, which has severely limited federal funding to study gun violence. “Why wouldn’t we want to know what the truth is and what the data show?” he asks. “Let’s look at it, let’s study it, let’s figure out where we can make improvements. Everyone should want that.”
Report: A Quarter of Chicago’s Crime Guns Sold By Just Ten Dealers: A small number of gun stores located in suburban Illinois and neighboring states, like Indiana, are responsible for selling a disproportionate number of guns used to commit crimes in the city of Chicago. According to the city’s second Gun Trace Report, based on data from 2013 to 2016, 10 gun stores accounted for almost 25 percent of the roughly 15,000 crime guns recovered by the Chicago Police Department.
New Technology Helps Police Work Smarter & Faster : Chicago Police Superintendent. Eddie Johnson talks about the city’s newest district intelligence center, and explains how technology supports the shift from reactive policing to proactive, place-based policing. After the first district intelligence center was brought online in Englewood, the community has seen a 44 percent reduction in shootings, and a 38 percent reduction in homicides compared to 2016.

Colorado — Shoppers Drawing Guns Created Chaos & Delayed Investigation After Shooting : Five hours passed between the time a gunman started firing shots inside a Thornton Walmart to when police released a picture of a suspect and warned residents that a potentially armed and dangerous person was on the loose. Shoppers who pulled their own guns during the shooting contributed to a difficult situation for police and slowed their investigation.
Delaware — Biden Addresses Gun Violence During Education Speech : Former Vice President Joe Biden addressed Wilmington’s epidemic of gun violence during a speech at the University of Delaware on Monday. He also called on universities to conduct more studies related to gun violence and its effects, and urged lawmakers to use those studies to pass stronger gun safety laws.
Illinois — Chicago Gun Violence Down for 8th Straight Month : October saw a 30 percent drop in murders compared to the same month last year, and a 34 percent reduction in shootings. Police attribute the progress mainly to enhanced technology and more focused intelligence gathering on the gangs that have generated most of the gun violence. “Strategic support centers” set up in some of the most violent districts have played a major role, along with an increased number of gunshot detectors called ShotSpotters set up around the city’s most violent neighborhoods.
New Mexico — Your Vote Affects All New Mexicans : In an op-ed for the Santa Fe New Mexican, Miranda Viscoli, Co-President of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, explains why the state’s gun violence problem is a public health epidemic, and calls on New Mexican’s to make GVP a voting issue, and to lobby their legislators to make gun safety a priority.
Ohio — Why Your Kid’s Doctors Might Ask if You Own a Gun : Through a pilot program of the Ohio chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a core group of pediatricians address gun safety with parents during well visits for 2- and 3-year-old children. So far, about 170 families have been surveyed as part of the project, and preliminary results show parents are open to receiving information about gun safety from their children’s doctors. The program is a partnership with firearms groups, concealed-carry instructors, and others.

West Virginia — Firearm Fatalities Climbed After Concealed Carry Law Passed in 2016 : After the permitless concealed carry law went into effect in June 2016, firearm fatalities increased by nearly 15 percent in West Virginia. Across the nation, states that have lax gun safety laws have higher rates of deaths from firearms, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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