GOOD AFTERNOON John,

In order to share the good work the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) and Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (Ed Fund) have been doing, we are sending out a monthly update with articles and press featuring our staff. We want to remind you that the best way to stay up-to-date is to visit www.csgv.org and www.efsgv.org as well as follow us on social media including Facebook and Twitter.

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As usual, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or ideas. Thank you for your continued support.


Best,

Josh Horwitz
Executive Director

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STATEMENTS & PRESS RELEASES

New CDC Data Show 39,740 People Died by Gun Violence in 2018 ([link removed])
(January 31, 2020) A new report ([link removed]) from the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence draws on new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reveal that 39,740 people died from gun violence in 2018, including 24,432 by suicide and 13,958 by homicide. The number of gun deaths remained relatively steady from 2017 to 2018, with 33 fewer deaths in 2018 compared to 2017 -- the highest year on record. This data brief delves into newly released data to illustrate the fatal toll of the gun violence epidemic in America.

Virginia House Of Delegates Passes Huge Gun Violence Prevention Package ([link removed])
(January 30, 2020) "Today, the Virginia House of Delegates made history. The new Democratic majority passed seven life-saving gun violence prevention measures. These bills include establishing universal background checks, establishing an Extreme Risk Protection Order, establishing child access prevention laws, requiring lost and stolen firearms to be reported, limiting handgun purchases to one per month, prohibiting domestic abusers from possessing a firearm while a permanent protective order is in effect, and granting localities authority to regulate firearms. Many of these policies have already had companion bills pass in the Virginia Senate."

Virginia Senate Votes To Remove Guns From Abusers ([link removed])
(January 28, 2020) "Today, Virginia took the important step of passing a law to remove guns from persons who are the subject of permanent protective orders -- these are persons who have committed acts of violence, force, or threat. Evidence shows that there is a strong link between past acts of violence and gun violence. Virginia currently prohibits the purchase and transportation of firearms for those subject to these protective orders but still allowed for possession -- putting lives at risk. For years, our organization has asked Virginia lawmakers to close this loophole. Today, we are one step closer to seeing that happen."

Virginia House Public Safety Committee Passes Seven Gun Violence Prevention Bills ([link removed])
(January 24, 2020) "We are pleased to see these seven bills pass the Virginia House Public Safety Committee. The committee has clearly heard the wishes of Virginians loud and clear. Today, we are one step closer to making the Commonwealth of Virginia a safer place for everyone and stopping gun violence in all its forms."

Extreme Risk Protection Order One Step Closer in Virginia ([link removed])
(January 22, 2020) "For years we have heard excuses and far flung scenarios from Republicans as they voted down ERPO. But today is a new day. With the new leadership in the Virginia Senate, we are seeing the first steps toward a safer Commonwealth of Virginia. Now our focus moves to the House of Delegates. Thank you to everyone involved in this process as we try to get this work done and save lives."

Armed Insurrectionists Prompt Cancellation of Annual MLK Day Vigil ([link removed])
(January 17, 2020) "We are an organization that strives to promote public health and safety, and we cannot in good faith lead our supporters -- some of whom are children and teenagers -- into a violent, dangerous situation. We refuse to engage with those who seek to physically harm us...On Monday, the agitators will come to Richmond intent on chaos. Then they will leave. But we will still be here. We will continue to fight for the rest of this legislative session with the data, facts, research, and the strong belief that we will succeed and save lives in Virginia."

Bills Reported Out of Committee Will Build A Safer Virginia ([link removed])
(January 13, 2020) "Until today, we heard only 'thoughts and prayers' as Republicans rejected common sense gun violence prevention measures by party line votes. That changed today...The people of Virginia have waited long enough. We've heard excuses for long enough. Finally, today is a day of action -- the first of many this session. Thank you to all the senators who voted for a safer Virginia today and all of the supporters of gun violence prevention who showed up to make their voices heard."



ARTICLES & PRESS

A New Backlash to Gun Control Begins in Virginia, The New Yorker ([link removed])
After the vigil, I asked Lori Haas, the Virginia state director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, whose daughter was injured in the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech, what she had thought of the rally. "I saw a bunch of people from out of state come to chest-thump," she said. "Guess what? They're gone. I'll be here tomorrow. I have an eight-thirty meeting." On January 24th, seven bills to prevent gun violence passed out of committee. They will be voted on by the Virginia House of Representatives later this week.

Virginia pro-gun rally draws thousands of protesters, NBC News (www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/virginia-pro-gun-rally-draws-thousands-of-protesters-77149765803)

Four firearms bills advance in Virginia's newly gun-free Capitol, Washington Post ([link removed])
"Clearly it's a new day in Virginia when Senate Judiciary moves four bills," said Lori Haas, Virginia director for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. "Elections have consequences, and they're reacting to the mandate of the voters."

That Pro-Gun Rally in Virginia Wasn't Exactly "Peaceful", GQ ([link removed])
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, a group that had hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in Richmond for 28 years, canceled its vigil. "Advocates have faced armed individuals trying to intimidate us each year," wrote the group's president, Lori Haas, in a press release. "But this year is different; we have received information that heavily armed white supremacists will be seeking to incite violence, and our organization has decided that the safety of our volunteers, advocates, and staff, many of whom are survivors of gun violence, must be our top priority."

Democrats push first batch of gun control bills out of Senate committee, The Roanoke Times ([link removed])
For families of the victims of the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings who spoke at the meeting in favor of the bills, Monday marked a small first step toward their longtime goal of passing gun control in Virginia. Lori Haas, whose daughter survived after being shot at Virginia Tech, rejected the notion Republicans are making that the legislation is passing because billionaire Michael Bloomberg's gun safety advocacy group contributed to Virginia's 2019 elections.
"The Virginia Tech tragedy happened in 2007, and here we are in 2020, nearly 13 years later, this is not new," Haas said. "While Mr. Bloomberg has been supportive of stopping gun violence, this is generating from Virginians frustrated about gun deaths and violence in the commonwealth and wanting something done about it. They sent that message in November and voted for Democrats who would do something about it."

Guns banned in Virginia Capitol as Democratic majority takes first action on firearms, Washington Post ([link removed])
Organizers say that event could draw tens of thousands of heavily armed protesters, including militias and members of extremist groups from across the country. "The other side is very, very, very ugly right now, and the threats are real," said Lori Haas of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. "I don't begrudge them being careful."

Guns Are No Mere Symbol, The Atlantic ([link removed])
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence had also planned to assemble and petition for gun-control legislation--as it had done in peaceful competition with gun-rights groups in previous years. This year, because of the threats of armed violence surrounding the gun-rights march, that gun-control demonstration had to be canceled.

Virginia Democrat majority agrees to ban firearms in the state Capitol, Texarkana Gazette ([link removed])
Democratic legislators said urgent action was needed ahead of the large gun rights protests slated for later this month. They said the concern is not with Virginia-based groups, but with out-of-state lone wolves, some of whom have been posting direct threats on social media. Lori Haas, senior director of advocacy at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, said the ban was long overdue. "It's a return to normalcy," she said.

Lobbying groups descending on Richmond for General Assembly, Daily Press ([link removed])
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence -- Staff and supporters of the organization that aims to prevent gun violence will be on site Wednesday for the start of session. The group's lobby day, which includes a rally and vigil, will be held at the Capitol on Jan. 20.

As gun-rights supporters plan peaceful rally in Richmond, state warns extremists could pose threat, GoDanRiver.com ([link removed])
An event to advocate for gun control measures and to honor victims of gun violence was canceled Friday afternoon by its organizers, the Virginia Center for Public Safety, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence.
"[We] have hosted this event for the last 28 years. Advocates have faced armed individuals trying to intimidate us each year. But this year is different," said Lori Haas, state director for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. "We have received information that heavily armed white supremacists will be seeking to incite violence, and our organization has decided that the safety of our volunteers, advocates, and staff, many of whom are survivors of gun violence, must be our top priority."

Concerns of public safety prompt cancellation of annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day vigil, The Grio ([link removed])
The violence that Dr. Martin Muther King Jr. stood against for has reared its head once more and this time, it will interfere with plans to remember the slain civil rights icon. The Coalition To Stop Gun Violence Virginia State Director Lori Haas released a press release on January 17 to cancel the scheduled Martin Luther King Jr. Day Vigil for Monday, January 20 due to concerns for public safety. "It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing the cancellation of the annual Martin Luther King Day Vigil and Day of Advocacy," Haas says in an issued statement. "We have chosen to cancel the event due to the ongoing, credible threats to public safety that have been promoted and encouraged by gun extremists.

Gun safety groups call off MLK Day event, citing potential for violence, Virginia Mercury ([link removed])
"Advocates have faced armed individuals trying to intimidate us each year," Lori Haas, the Virginia director for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, said in a statement. "But this year is different; we have received information that heavily armed white supremacists will be seeking to incite violence, and our organization has decided that the safety of our volunteers, advocates, and staff, many of whom are survivors of gun violence, must be our top priority."

As gun-rights supporters plan peaceful rally in Richmond, state warns extremists could pose threat, Richmond Times-Dispatch ([link removed])
An event to advocate for gun-control measures and to honor victims of gun violence was canceled Friday afternoon by its organizers, the Virginia Center for Public Safety, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence.
"[We] have hosted this event for the last 28 years. Advocates have faced armed individuals trying to intimidate us each year. But this year is different," said Lori Haas, state director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. We have received information that heavily armed white supremacists will be seeking to incite violence, and our organization has decided that the safety of our volunteers, advocates and staff, many of whom are survivors of gun violence, must be our top priority."



PRESENTATIONS / SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

On January 9th, the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence hosted a convening of the Consortium for Risk-Based Firearm Policy Steering Committee with select guests and the guidance of many stakeholders to explore contemporary issues related to Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) policy and implementation. Since the Consortium's original recommendation in 2013 for states to enact ERPOs (originally called Gun Violence Restraining Orders), this evidence-based policy has changed the national gun violence prevention policy landscape. The Consortium is again weighing in with updated recommendations to address questions that have arisen and provide evidence-based guidance for advocates, lawmakers, and stakeholders working to enact and implement extreme risk protection orders in their communities.

History In The Making, Red Blue & Brady Podcast [link removed])
JJ is joined by Brady President Kris Brown, and State Director of Virginia at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Lori Haas. Together, we're talking about what happened this Monday--namely, that though it has been YEARS since significant gun violence prevention legislation has cleared committee in the state of Virginia, it happened today! And the rest of the country should be paying attention, because it was only November that Virginia voters altered the balance of power, electing a gun violence prevention majority to the state legislature. Something that, if you asked Virginians a few years ago, they would have said was HIGHLY unlikely. Yet, here we are!

Guns and Suicide: A National Crisis, The Takeaway Podcast ([link removed])
All this week, The Takeaway will be exploring different components of the deadly link between guns and suicide. To get a better understanding of the situation across the country, Tanzina Vega spoke recently with Kyleanne Hunter and Dakota Jablon, the Director of Federal Affairs for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

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