Giffords Admonishes Virginia House and Senate Committees for Refusing to Pass Gun Safety Legislation

January 22, 2019

In one weeks time, Virginia state legislature voted down over two dozen gun safety bills

January 22, 2019 — Giffords , the gun violence organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her husband Captain Mark Kelly, strongly criticized the Virginia Senate Committee on Courts of Justice and House Committee on Militia, Police, and Public Safety after majorities in the committees voted down a series of bills to strengthen gun safety laws in the state.

“These legislators proved they care more about the interests of gun lobbyists than the wellbeing of Virginia families,” said Molly Voigt, state legislative manager at Giffords. “In yet another session, the Virginia Republicans refused to reckon with an epidemic that took nearly 40,000 lives last year. While the rest of the country made progress by passing a litany of new gun safety laws, Republicans in Virginia chose to instead defy the will of the people. Our work is far from over, and it is our hope that lawmakers in Richmond realize they must have the courage to listen to the demands of Virginia families who want to be kept safe from gun violence.”

The Senate Committee on Courts of Justice considered 14 gun safety measures in its hearing this week, while the House Committee on Militia, Police, and Public Safety considered 15 pieces of legislation. The package of bills included gun safety measures to expand background checks, establish extreme risk protective orders, ban bump stocks, and keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.

Giffords representatives were present at both committee hearings to urge support for these lifesaving measures. Giffords outlined its positions on these measures in the following memorandums:

Related Resources:

Fact Sheet: The State of Gun Violence in Virginia

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