 | | Hello John, Thank you for subscribing to our communications and welcome our March e-newsletter. In our newsletter, you will find highlights of what our grassroots state affiliates are accomplishing, as well as national gun violence prevention news. | | | | | | | | | | February marked one year for H.R. 8 It’s been a year since the House passed H.R. 8 to expand background checks, yet the Senate failed to bring H.R. 8 and it's companion bill HR112 to a debate or vote. In that time, almost 40,000 people in America have been killed by guns. We know what the solution is. It’s past time for the Senate to update background checks now! Today, unlicensed gun sales made online or at gun shows are unregulated and unchecked. That contributes to the fact that 1 in 5 gun sales are conducted without a background check.
Evidence shows background checks save lives. - States that require background checks on all handgun sales experience less than half as many mass shooting incidents (52% fewer) as states that do not.
- From 2009 to 2012, states that require background checks on all handgun sales or permits had 35% fewer gun deaths per capita than states that didn’t.
We must continue to hold the Senate accountable for failing to protect Americans by the refusal to take action on life-saving gun violence prevention laws. Contact your senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 | | | | | |  | NAGV Faces Assault Weapons in the Capitol Members of our Nebraska affiliate, Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, faced hundreds of folks brought by an Aryan nationalist. NAGV supports keeping guns from domestic abusers and enhancements in the Nebraska handgun purchase permit. This terrifying situation was the first time in known history, assault weapons were brought into a hearing at the Capital. It is reported that one of the people carrying an assault weapon had it loaded with one a round in the chamber, that same person kept his finger on the trigger while delivering testimony. Nebraskans Against Gun Violence are often the only organization to show up at the statehouse to deliver testimony on firearm policy and know first hand how critical it is to be visible to the senators on the front lines. Nebraskans Against Gun Violence are committed to continue their presence and be the advocates for gun violence prevention legislation that we will save lives. | | | | |  | 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries' jeopardize public safety The Executive Director of our North Carolina affiliate, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, Beck Ceartas wrote a powerful op-ed that clearly illistrates just how dangerous and unlawful the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement is saying: Deeming themselves “Second Amendment Sanctuaries,” local governments in North Carolina are passing resolutions declaring or implying that state gun safety laws do not apply in their communities. Some going as far as refusing to enforce and dedicate tax-funded resources to the implementation of state gun safety measures. These resolutions jeopardize public safety by interfering with the implementation of life-saving laws. To date, at least 65 counties in North Carolina have passed Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions. It is the responsibility of our courts, not local governments, to be the arbiters of a law’s constitutionality. In fact, late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion in the District of Columbia v Heller (2008) case said that the Second Amendment was not unlimited and that a range of gun regulations are fully consistent with the Second Amendment. As anti-violence advocates, we find the decision of local governments to exercise their power in this manner to be disheartening at best, and a serious threat to public safety at worst. | | | | | | | | | | | | Welcome New Board Members Our Board provides leadership for carrying out States United’s mission to decrease gun death and injury and build healthy communities by supporting and strengthening the work of existing state gun violence prevention organizations and working to build new state organizations. We enthusiastically welcome Michelle, Geoff, Aerielle, and Melody onto our Board of Directors. Each brings deep knowledge in issues of violence prevention, a passion for collaboration, and the desire to satisfy the growing needs of all state affiliates. | | | | Melody Vaccaro Melody is the Executive Director and founder of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence and the mother of two children. Melody is proud of her state as one of only 7 states that have protected the right of city councils to address gun violence. Melody grew up in a military family in Papillion, Nebraska. where she earned her Girl Scout Gold Award in high school. She graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and after college, she served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria. Melody now serves as the executive director at Nebraskans Against Gun Violence. Melody joined States United to Prevent Gun Violence in 2015 because of our focus on developing leadership around the country to eliminate gun violence in every state. | | Michelle Yi Alexander Michelle is the Director of Program Development with the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Centennial, Colorado. In this capacity, she serves as the manager of numerous projects and programs that further the office's mission. Previously, she served as the office's communications director where she managed media relations during the Aurora Theater Shooting trial. Her professional background is in media relations, organizational development, and assisting fundraising efforts for government offices, campaigns, and private firms. She volunteers and advises numerous organizations in the Denver Metro Area including the Junior League of Denver, Mothers of Multiples, and the 7/20 Memorial Foundation. Gun violence impacted Michelle's life in both personal and professional ways, and she is passionate about working with stakeholders to find meaningful solutions to it. | | | Geoff Bickford, J.D. Geoff is the Executive Director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. Having spent time both as GVP advocate in Maine and as a lawyer in the criminal justice system in New York, Geoff is acutely aware of the intersection between the problems, and success of the region, be it the iron pipeline that flows south from Maine to Massachusetts, or up to New York or the fact that Maine can point to the outstanding track record of Vermont and Massachusetts and say "if them, why not us?". Geoff tells us he feels very lucky to work under the SUPGV umbrella and knows how important our success is to the success of the larger gun violence prevention movement. | | Aerielle Matsangos, MHS Aerielle Matsangos, MHS, is a Biomedical Research Scientist who has witnessed, survived, and responded to firearm violence. Aerielle served her community as an ambulance Crew Chief (AEMT) and led rescue efforts in emergency crises including, but not limited to incidents of: interpersonal firearm violence which disproportionately impacts communities of color, firearm suicides which more often impact rural communities, and unintentional firearm violence. Aerielle recently completed a public health fellowship where she developed subject matter expertise in gun violence prevention research focused on risk factors associated with violence. She also supported the implementation and best practices of risk-based firearm removal policies. She is dedicated to strengthening the role of science in policy, accounting for the ethical, social, and legal contexts of scientific and technological advances, by utilizing evidence-based scientific research to equitably balance scientific opportunity and public health needs. | | | | | | | | | | SUPGV supports 32 state affiliates with education work, coalition building and policy change to reduce gun violence. We are the only GVP organization in service to the states. Thank you for joining our movement to stop gun violence! Your donation is tax-deductible. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
