Everytown And Moms Demand Action Call On Governors To Act On Gun Safety In Wake Of Uvalde, Buffalo Shootings

Everytown Releases Comprehensive List of Actions, including Executive Orders, Available to Governors to Combat Gun Violence in their States

NEW YORK — Today, Everytown for Gun Safety and its grassroots networks, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, called on governors to take immediate action to combat gun violence in their states following the recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York, and in light of the daily gun violence faced by states across the country. Everytown released a comprehensive list of recommendations, including executive orders, that governors can take to combat gun violence in their states. 

The guidance includes actions governors can take right now to combat gun violence by: 

1. Keeping guns out of the hands of those who pose a risk to themselves or others with actions to improve education on extreme risk laws and secure storage and to disarm those prohibited from purchasing a firearm because of a dangerous or violent history,
2. Uplifting community violence intervention programs that are doing life-saving work in the hardest hit communities, and 
3. Holding the gun industry accountable for their role in the gun violence crisis.

“For years now, states have been leading the way on gun safety, but the tragedies in Uvalde and Buffalo are a horrific reminder that so much more needs to be done,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “While we wait on Congress to take long-delayed action, we call on governors to show the nation what decisive leadership looks like and do everything in their power to stop the bloodshed.”

“Following the tragic shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, to the daily gun violence that continues to devastate our communities, action on gun safety cannot wait,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “There’s so much that Governors can do right now to put the full force of state governments behind life saving policies, from ensuring that strong laws are fully implemented and utilized, to investing in proven solutions to prevent violence before it happens, to holding bad actors in the gun industry accountable – and our grassroots army of volunteers is committed to supporting these efforts every step of the way.”

“Governors are on the front lines of our nation’s gun violence crisis and there are meaningful actions they can take right now to save lives,” said Monisha Henley, Senior Director of State Affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety. “There is not a single state in the country that is immune from the gun violence that takes more than 110 lives a day and it’s time for leaders to act.”

“Enough is enough. For far too long, we have heard the cries of family members and friends who have lost their loved ones to these senseless acts of gun violence,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “During my tenure as Governor, New Jersey has taken, and will continue to take, the necessary steps to combat gun violence and address the many recommendations provided by Everytown. I urge all my fellow governors, and their respective legislatures, to follow suit and take action in their states. It is time for us to unite on this issue and make meaningful change to create a safer country for all.”

Actions available to Governors right now include:

Blocking gun access for people who pose a danger:

• Governors can launch an education strategy and a government task force to increase the use of extreme risk orders.
• Chief executives can help remove illegal guns promptly with a statewide program to identify prohibited gun owners and ensure they are disarmed.
• States can distribute public materials through the schools and other channels to educate gun owners on the dangers of unsecured guns at home and in vehicles.

Uplifting community violence intervention:

• Governors can bolster street outreach and other community-led programs with a coordinated effort to secure funding and serve as a convener, capacity builder, and advocate for this work at the forefront of the gun safety movement.

Holding the gun industry accountable:

• Chief executives can raise the bar for irresponsible gun dealers, maximizing the work of licensing authorities to hold bad actors to account.
• States can publicly disclose the manufacturers and retailers of guns used in shootings, to put industry actors on notice that their guns are being used in crimes and inform the public on who is profiting off of our gun violence epidemic.
• States can create crime gun data intelligence tools that empower them to intercept traffickers and interrupt the flow of guns into our communities.
• Governors can pressure gun manufacturers to childproof their guns, using consumer product safety authority to demand better firearm technology.