California Moms Demand Action, Everytown Applaud Governor Newsom, California Legislature for Significantly Increasing Funding for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program in 2019 Budget

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown, today applauded Governor Gavin Newsom and the California legislature for including $30 million in funding for the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program (CalVIP) in the budget signed by Gov. Newsom today. This marks a $21 million increase from the $9 million in the governor’s proposed budget in January.

“With this additional funding, California will continue to lead the way in preventing senseless acts of violence in our communities,” said Krystal LoPilato, a volunteer with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Governor Newsom has proven he’s committed to ensuring that we’re doing all we can to prevent gun violence in California’s hardest-hit communities. This funding will mean more cities and programs can do critical work on the ground that’s proven to reduce gun violence.”

CalVIP supports community-based violence intervention programs that apply a localized approach to address gun violence in California’s hardest-hit neighborhoods. While California is a leader in gun safety laws, CalVIP has been drastically underfunded at around $9 million annually for years. This year, volunteers with the California chapter of Moms Demand Action joined a coalition of more than 30 member organizations — inclusive of mayors’ offices, local violence intervention and prevention groups and gun violence prevention advocates — to call for Gov. Newsom and the California legislature to increase funding for the CalVIP program.