Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Governor Raimondo Discuss, Hear from Survivors & Advocates on Urgent Need to Address Gun Violence in Rhode Island
January 30, 2020 — Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords , today joined Governor Gina Raimondo at the Rhode Island State House to hear directly from people in the state impacted by gun violence. At a roundtable gun violence survivors, local advocates, and community leaders discussed solutions on how Rhode Island can work to become a national leader in gun violence prevention.
“After the headlines fade, the trauma and grief for gun violence survivors continue. There are hard days, and there are days of hopelessness,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords. “But there are also days of determination and courage. That’s why I’m so grateful for the individuals who shared their stories today. I am touched by their strength reminded, yet again, that the costs of inaction are greater than any one person can possibly know. As Governor Raimondo continues her efforts to get stronger laws passed, I know she’ll carry the stories she heard today with her. I thank the Governor for inviting me to participate in this roundtable, and look forward to the policies proposed to stop this growing epidemic.”
Meeting in the State Room of the Rhode Island State House, former Congresswoman Giffords joined Governor Raimondo; Attorney General Neronha; Rhode Island State Police leadership; local survivors; and advocates from Thoughts, Prayers, Action, Guns into Plowshare Project, and the Nonviolence Institute to discuss solutions to reducing gun violence in Rhode Island.
“It was humbling to hear the firsthand stories of gun violence survivors today, and I’m honored that Gabby Giffords joined us for this important conversation,” said Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “Gabby has seen this issue from every angle – as a legislator, as a survivor, and as the leader of a national movement. Rhode Islanders are demanding action, and we will not stop until our schools and our communities are safe from gun violence.”
In 2018, Rhode Island strengthened its relatively strong gun laws by adopting extreme risk protection legislation and banning dangerous trigger activators like bump stocks. Rhode Island has been pushing to pass laws to help reduce the scourge of gun violence, but the state still has progress to be made in reducing the $268 million cost of gun violence that arises as a result of someone being killed every eight days by a firearm in the state.
Related Resources:
- Gun Law Scorecard: Learn more about Rhode Island’s ranking by visiting this year’s Scorecard.
- Factsheet: Read more about how gun violence impacts Rhode Island.