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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 14, 2023
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AG Nessel Testifies in Support of Domestic Violence Gun Bans |
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LANSING- Today, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel testified before the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee in support of Senate Bills 471 & 472, which would prevent people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from possessing or owning a firearm for eight years following their conviction. She was joined by the lead attorney of the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Unit, Danielle Bennetts, Division Chief, Criminal Trials and Appeals, Danielle Hagaman-Clark, and Acting Chief Legal Counsel, Linus Banghart-Linn.?
?As a long-time prosecutor and defense attorney, I have handled hundreds of cases involving abuse against intimate partners. There is a clear, undeniable, and deadly connection between domestic violence and firearms,? said Nessel. ?The available statistics are shocking, and I am infuriated that thousands of Michigan residents are targeted each year by the scourge of senseless, preventable gun violence in our state. This common-sense measure is long overdue and will undoubtedly save lives.??
Statistics provided by Everytown for Gun Safety highlight the deadly intersection of domestic violence and firearms:?
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Abusers with firearms are five times more likely to kill their female victims than abusers without firearms;??
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Every month, an average of 70 people are shot and killed by an intimate partner; and?
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Nearly 1 million women alive today have reported being shot or shot at by intimate partners, and over 4.5 million women have reported being threatened with a gun by an intimate partner.??
The study also found that ?while the deadly intersection of guns and intimate partner violence affects all women, it has a disproportionate impact on women of color as well as pregnant and postpartum women. In addition, ?segments of the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities are highly vulnerable to severe forms of relationship abuse.??
Thirty-three other states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar laws. They are Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,?Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana,?Maine, Maryland,?Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,?Washington, Washington D.C.,?and West Virginia.?
?I have met with dozens of victim advocacy groups, child advocacy centers, and law enforcement agencies everywhere from the Upper Peninsula to the southern corners of the state. Common-sense measures like this have widespread support,? said Nessel. ?In each visit, I am reminded of the importance of addressing the gaps in Michigan law that allows domestic abusers to have access to firearms.??
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