Summer Edition

GUNS TO GARDENS

New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence hosted their 18th Guns To Gardens buyback! 156 guns were dismantled; 1/3 were semi-automatics and assault style rifles. Most of the participants surrendered their firearms for safety reasons.

At GunSense NH first Guns to Gardens, 31 unwanted firearms were dismantled, including an AR-15. Ralph, a retired nurse from Tilton, NH said “I’m here to surrender a handgun that I’ve had locked in the house for 30 years. Given all the gun violence going on, especially with children, I decided I don’t want a firearm in the house any more. I don’t want to sell it. I don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands, or a parent who doesn’t secure it properly, or a bad actor who might use it to rob someone. I don’t want it used in domestic violence or suicide.” 

Plus, Utah Gun Violence Prevention Center Guns and Colorado Ceasefire organized their annual Raw Tools Guns to Gardens events in June!

STATE AFFILIATE NEWS

DELAWARE: HB 201 and HB 202 are headed to Governor Carney’s desk for signature. They both work to ban firearms in sensitive locations – schools and polling places. Law enforcement officers, constables and other select public officials acting in their official capacity within those zones would be exempt.

RHODE ISLAND: A constitutional challenge of Rhode Island’s concealed carry permitting laws was denied by the state supreme court.

CONNECTICUT: New laws enacted in June include: Bans open carry in public, Limit the sale of 3+ handguns to an individual in a 30-day period; Increase gun dealer accountability; and Expand safe storage requirements to all owners.

VERMONT: The Suicide Prevention bill was signed to law on June 1st and includes safe storage requirements, plus 72-hour waiting period.

WEAR ORANGE EDITION

JUNE IS GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH!

 

STATE AFFILIATE NEWS

MICHIGAN: The Extreme Risk Protective Order was signed into law on May 22, 2023.
 
MINNESOTA: Governor Walz signed several gun violence prevention measures into law. Extreme Risk Protection Orders, Universal Background Checks, and funding for Community Violence Intervention and Gun Violence Research were enacted on May 19, 2023.
 
ILLINOIS: After being challenged twice, the Assault Weapons Ban remains law. In a one-sentence order, SCOTUS declined a request from a gun store owner and a gun rights group to block the state AWB ban law.
 
In May, the Gun Industry Accountability Act passed the Illinois General Assembly that will prohibit advertising and marketing that encourages para-Military or unlawful private militia activity; and prevent targeted advertising to minors. Governor Pritzker has publicly stated he will sign it.
 
NORTH CAROLINA: The permit-less carry bill was pulled from the NC House calendar after North Carolinians Against Gun Violence rallied volunteers, advocates and survivors to contact their legislators and put a stop to this dangerous bill.

JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH
Did you know LGBTQ+ people are more than twice as likely to be a victim of gun violence than their cisgender and straight peers?

LGBTQ+ youth also disproportionately face violence at school. 29% of transgender youth have been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, compared to 7% of cisgender youth.

#DISARMHATE for PRIDE