Washington Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Applaud Lawmakers for Advancing Historic Legislation

The Washington chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement after the Washington House Education Committee passed HB 1759, legislation to require schools to share secure storage information with parents and guardians. Moms Demand Action volunteers have been advocating for schools to share information about secure storage for years. 

“After a year of record gun violence in schools, this legislation is a breath of fresh air,” said Kim Monroe-Bass, a volunteer with the Washington chapter of Moms Demand Action. “For years, we have been going from school board to school board across the country and our state to talk about secure storage and school safety. We are thankful to see our lawmakers taking initiative to mandate this life-saving information across the state.”

More than 2 million students across the country now live in a school district that requires schools to educate parents about the critical importance of secure firearm storage in keeping schools and students safe, thanks to the tireless advocacy of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers. But there are still too many children at home with unsecured guns putting our communities at risk of school gun violence and unintentional shootings. State lawmakers should  follow the lead of school boards across the country and pass legislation to make sure all schools are sending home this life-saving information. 

Earlier this morning, lawmakers in the Senate Law & Justice Committee also passed SB 5568, legislation to grant more authority to local governments to prohibit guns in public buildings and at meetings, as well as at permitted demonstrations. Providing local governments with the tools to prohibit firearms is critical to the safety of local meetings. Over the past few months, the country has seen armed extremists, such as the Proud Boys, show up to local school board meetings — intimidating local community members. 

Statistics about gun violence in Washington are available here, and more information about secure storage devices is available here. Everytown’s interactive gun law platform — which shows the direct correlation between the strength of a state’s gun laws and its rate of gun deaths — is available here. If you have questions, or to request an interview with a volunteer from Washington Moms Demand Action please don’t hesitate to reach out.