Dear John,
This is a historic week of milestones within the movement to prevent gun violence.
Today marks 26 years since the enactment of our namesake Brady Bill — the landmark legislation that established our nation’s background check system. The Brady Bill came to be after Jim Brady, who served as White House Press Secretary, was shot in the head during the 1981 attempted assassination of President Reagan.
The shooter — who left Jim Brady paralyzed — could have been blocked from buying his gun under the Brady Bill. He'd lied on the form when he bought the firearm. To date, the Brady Bill has blocked more than 3.5 million prohibited gun sales. States that require background checks on all handgun sales have less than half as many mass shooting incidents.
But as times change, new challenges evolve. Today, one in every five guns are sold without a background check, including through the internet. And dangerous gaps remain. Our gun laws need to be updated to reflect today’s world.
Building upon Jim and Sarah’s legacy, the House passed H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112 exactly one year ago this week. The bills would expand background checks to all gun sales and fix the deadly "Charleston loophole," which allows guns to be sold after three days — even if a background check hasn’t been completed. Yet, under the “leadership” of Sen. McConnell, both bills have collected dust on his desk for an entire year. That’s nearly 40,000 people killed due to gun violence.
In honor of the 26th anniversary of the Brady Bill, we’re calling on Mitch McConnell to take action to save lives. Will you join us? Please demand McConnell bring a vote to expand Brady Background Checks!
Jim (L) and Sarah (Center) Brady with President Bill Clinton during the signing of the Brady Bill on November 30, 1993. The landmark legislation went into effect on February 28, 1994.
“This was a shot to the heart of our city and a tragic example of preventable violence.”
— Brady Milwaukee Program Manager Anneliese Dickman following the mass shooting at Molson Coors Headquarters
Our hearts are with the families and the people of Milwaukee following the mass shooting at Molson Coors Headquarters. A former employee shot and killed five people: Jesus Valle Jr., 33, Gennady Levshez, 51, Trevor Wetselaar, 33, Dana Walk, 57, and Dale Hudson, 50.
While some details about the shooting remain unclear, we know this: workplace homicides have steadily increased since 2016, and the gun industry continues to limit the ability of employers to restrict guns at work. We cannot be complacent when 100 people die of gun violence every day in the United States, including the five employees in Milwaukee who will never come home from work again. They deserve better. Our nation deserves better.
We're Proud to Endorse Speaker Pelosi for Re-Election in 2020
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a sterling record on preventing gun violence. We are proud to endorse Speaker Pelosi for re-election as she continues the fight for common-sense gun reform. Watch our video now!
YES! Candidates Finally Had a Full-Out Debate on Solutions to Gun Violence
Last week, we asked you to join Brady in demanding debate moderators ask meaningful questions about gun violence. This week, CBS moderators did not disappoint. Thanks to their pointed questions, candidates covered key gun violence prevention policies, including:
✔️Removing the harmful legal immunity bestowed upon the gun industry
✔️Calling for an end to the filibuster as a way to block gun safety legislation
✔️Closing the deadly Charleston loophole in background checks
Addressing the Charleston loophole was top of mind for South Carolinians. The debate took place within a block of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church, where in 2015 a gunman shot and killed nine parishioners and injured another three. He was able to purchase his weapon due to the Charleston loophole.
We are energized that candidates substantively discussed solutions to our country’s epidemic of gun violence. Years ago, the issue was virtually never raised at debates, but those days are over. We are making sure the next President meaningfully addresses the full scope of gun violence, including every day gun violence in Black and Brown communities and using executive action to combat gun violence. As we prepare for the upcoming election, read more about our take on the most recent debate.
It’s Been Four Years Since the Excel Industry Mass Shooting
Four years ago this week, a gunman shot and killed three people and injured more than 10 others at Excel Industries in Hesston, Kansas. Joshua Higbee, a welder at Excel, was one of the many murdered that day. Two years later, Brady Legal and our Legal Alliance took action against A Pawn Shop — the seller of the guns used by the shooter, on behalf of Joshua’s family. We alleged that A Pawn Shop negligently let the gunman’s ex-girlfriend obtain the guns for him through a straw purchase.
Brady Legal battled in the courts for months, questioning the gun dealer and demanding justice on behalf of Joshua’s family. Then it became official: Brady Legal and our Legal Alliance announced a victory on behalf of the Higbee family and other cases pending against A Pawn Shop with a global $2 million settlement! As a result of our lawsuit, A Pawn Shop stopped selling firearms and closed its doors for good. Subscribe to the Brady Legal Alliance newsletter to learn more about our work!
This week, our youth-led Team ENOUGH Tallahassee Lobbying Collective kicked off its first lobbying day at the Florida State Capitol, where they met with lawmakers to discuss key gun safety legislation. Students successfully gained a co-sponsor from Rep. Fentrice Driskell on SB 652, which would create an urban gun violence task force and fund community-based violence intervention programs.
(L-R) Eve Levenson, Chris Zoeller, Rep. Fentrice Driskell, Sabrina Feldman, Julia Cordover, Robert Schentrup, Carolina Garcia-Umani, Rep. Carlos Smith, Alyssa Ackbar, and Ricky Pope.
In Washington, D.C., our joint youth-led lobbying collective between Team ENOUGH and March For Our Lives D.C. took the fight to prevent gun safety to the U.S. Capitol. They met with about 25 lawmakers and pushed for legislation to expand background checks, among more. This was just the first of many times Team ENOUGH will be on Capitol Hill lobbying lawmakers for change. Learn more about Team ENOUGH, our youth-led program to mobilize young people in the fight to end gun violence!
Brady Endorses Yes for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)!
Too often, public schools in urban areas aren’t provided with the same educational resources as those in suburban areas. In return, students can face disadvantages that may lead to higher rates of violence and crime in impacted communities. That’s why part of our work in Milwaukee — where we’re doing grassroots work to fight the city’s high rates of gun violence — includes endorsing the "Vote Yes for MPS" campaign. This referendum will fund mental health services, arts education, and other programs that are proven to prevent conflict and violence.
We are proud to be the first gun violence prevention organization to sign onto this initiative. We believe that investing in educational resources to ensure all students have the same opportunities is an essential first step to reducing violence in our communities. Do you live in the Milwaukee area? Take the Yes for MPS pledge and learn more about their work!
This week on Red, Blue, and Brady —
🎧 On the Front Lines
In our latest episode on racial justice, hosts JJ and Kelly are joined by Clayton Rosenberg of the Alliance of Concerned Men and Women — a non-profit that focuses on saving lives of at-risk youth and adults in Washington, D.C. We explore how violence is intertwined and complicated by racism, gentrification, and policing, as well as the Alliance’s work as violence interrupters. Listen now.
Clayton Rosenberg (center) of the Alliance of Concerned Men and Women. Subscribe now by searching your favorite podcast app for “Red, Blue, and Brady.”
I’m Not Giving Up on An Assault Weapons Ban in Virginia, Washington Post
Small Southern California Town Labels Itself a ‘2nd Amendment Sanctuary,’ KTXL
A Chat About Gun Vocabulary with U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Ky Hunter, WTTG
What Do Pro-Gun Resolutions Sweeping Across N.J. Actually Do? Not Much, New Jersey Star
Gov. Grisham’s condemnation of so-called “Second Amendment sanctuaries” was built on a steady drum beat of advocacy from local groups like New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, led by Co-President Miranda Viscoli. The group has consistently advocated for lifesaving gun safety laws, like the one passed by Gov. Grisham, and has made clear that sheriffs have a duty to protect and serve the public by enforcing gun safety laws.
— Brady President Kris Brown in the Washington Post
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