John,

In the lethal arsenal of currently legal firearms in the United States, semiautomatic assault weapons are uniquely dangerous.

Designed for the battlefield, they can be equipped with large-capacity magazines, bump stocks, and other powerful features that permit the firing of massive amounts of ammunition at many people in a very short time, making them the weapon of choice for mass shootings.

Assault weapons were used in the seven worst mass shootings over the last ten years, and an analysis of shootings resulting in four or more deaths found that 85% of the fatalities resulted from assault rifles.

Armed with an assault rifle, a gunman can shoot at least twice as many victims as one with a handgun, and the wounds caused by these guns are more severe and deadly. Police officers, too, are placed at higher risk with the wide availability of these weapons.

Federal law passed in 1994 placed some restrictions on the sale and manufacture of assault weapons, but in 2004 the law was allowed to expire. During the ten years the federal assault weapons ban was in effect, mass shootings decreased by 70%, compared to the periods both before and after.

Yet last year, nearly 20 years later, even after the House of Representatives finally passed legislation to reinstate an assault weapons ban, it still failed to pass the Senate.

With no federal law in place, we have to depend on the states to pass necessary restrictions. Sign the petition now to urge state legislatures to pass legislation to ban the sale of assault weapons.

The list of assault weapon tragedies goes on and on, including mass shootings in Las Vegas, Orlando, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Sutherland Springs, El Paso, Robb Elementary School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Aurora, and Dayton -- all carried out with assault weapons equipped with large-capacity magazines.

Studies of assault weapon bans at both the federal and state levels have confirmed their effectiveness at reducing mass shooting deaths and injuries. During the federal ban, the percentage of assault weapons recovered after being used in crimes decreased by 32%.

Moreover, a supermajority of Americans -- 67%, including half of all Republicans -- support a ban on assault weapons.

Thankfully, given the woeful lack of action by the U.S. Congress, state legislatures are starting to do what needs to be done. Ten states have banned the sale of assault weapons, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and now Washington, where Governor Jay Inslee has signed legislation banning the sale, manufacturing and distribution of over 50 kinds of semiautomatic firearms.

It’s a good start, but more must be done. Sign the petition today to urge the remaining 40 state legislatures to act now and protect our communities from further recurrences of the most horrific scenes of gun violence.

Thank you for helping to put this issue front and center for our state lawmakers.

- Amanda

Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund