New National Ad Campaign from Giffords Urges Voters in Key House Districts to Tell Members to Oppose Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill
Giffords running television ads in Minnesota & New Jersey districts, radio ad in Southern California, and launching digital campaign to reach voters in swing districts across the nation
Bill that would allow almost anyone to carry a loaded, concealed handgun in public could be voted on in House of Representatives as early as this week
December 4, 2017 — Today, Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffordsand retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, announced a new national ad urging voters in key U.S. House of Representatives districts to tell members to vote against the gun lobby’s dangerous concealed carry reciprocity bill. The bill would allow almost anyone to carry a loaded, concealed handgun in public and it will be voted on in the House of Representatives this week.
“We are putting Congress on notice that siding with the gun lobby’s campaign cash over public safety will put their careers in jeopardy,” said Peter Ambler, Executive Director, Giffords. “In an attempt to give the gun lobby their number one priority, Congress is violating the public trust and moving forward with a bill that will allow almost anyone to carry concealed, loaded weapons anywhere in our country. The ads call on voters to speak up about this dangerous bill and call on their leaders put the safety of communities before the interests of the gun industry.”
At 3:00 PM today Captain Mark Kelly and Mark Barden, Founder and Managing Director of Sandy Hook Promise, will hold a press call to discuss the concealed carry reciprocity bill, for details on joining please click here .
The ads urge members of Congress to vote no on the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, a bill that would allow dangerous individuals – like stalkers, domestic abusers, people who have committed violent crimes – and people with no firearms training at all to carry loaded, concealed guns in public. Giffords condemned the the bill’s approval by the House Judiciary Committee and law enforcement officials across the country have come out in opposition to the bill, warning that it would put officers at risk and make communities less safe.
The campaign includes television ads in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District and New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, radio advertising in Southern California, and digital ads in key suburban swing districts across the country, including:
- Steve Knight, California’s 25th Congressional District
- Ed Royce, California’s 39th Congressional District
- Mimi Walters, California’s 45th Congressional District
- Mike Coffman, Colorado’s 6th Congressional District
- Jason Lewis, Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District
- Rodney Frelinghuysen, New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District
- Lee Zeldin, New York’s 1st Congressional District
- Barbara Comstock, Virginia’s 10th Congressional District
Recent election results in Virginia’s “suburban revolt” show the growing salience of gun safety for critical voting blocks. The ads seen by voters in these districts will outline how Congress, even after two of the worst mass shootings in country’s history, is about to consider legislation to actually weaken gun laws.
The ads make clear that if this bill passes, nearly anyone with hidden, loaded guns would be allowed into communities and that the gun lobby has spent millions to make this happen. They call on members to support public safety over the gun lobby.
The radio ad running in Southern California asks voters to speak up and tell their member of Congress to vote against the bill. Passage of this new law would have severe consequences for Californians, as detailed in this Giffords fact sheet. (Additional examples of state-specific impacts are available on the Giffords website.)
Listen to the California radio ad here.
Currently, states have the right to choose which states’ concealed carry permits they recognize, which is important because the requirements to carry hidden, loaded guns in public vary drastically from state to state. If the concealed carry reciprocity bill passes, that will no longer be the case. As of today, 12 states do not require any permit or training to carry hidden, loaded guns in public.
Related Resources from Giffords: Visit this page on the Giffords website to read more about Concealed Carry Reciprocity. Highlighted resources include:
- Federally Mandated Concealed Carry Reciprocity : This fact sheet provides a summary of H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.
- 7 Myths About Concealed Carry, Debunked : Here are 7 myths about concealed carry reciprocity the gun lobby wants you to believe, and the facts that bust them.
- What’s Training Got To Do With It : This post explains how training standards for concealed firearms permits vary dramatically from state to state.
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Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.