Good Afternoon John,

At the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) and Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (Ed Fund), we are committed to reducing gun violence in all its forms and ensuring that equity is a core tenet of our work. We recognize that there is an immediate way to begin exercising our responsibility to make our country more equitable and safe for all Americans, and we look forward to working toward this goal with our partners. We hope you will join us.

In order to share the good work CSGV and the 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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twitter.com/CSGV

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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REPORTS

Guns Down at the Polls: [link removed]

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Guns Down America released a timely new report, "Guns Down at the Polls: How States Can and Should Limit Firearms at Polling Places." The report found that Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin all lack laws that expressly prevent the possession of firearms at polling places, but do have tools that can help prevent intimidation if state and local officials take coordinated action. The report illustrates that state and local officials can -- and should -- take action to ensure their constituents can vote without fear of armed intimidation. With Election Day approaching and early voting already underway in some states, this report is highly relevant.


STATEMENTS & PRESS RELEASES

Video: "We Are Not Safe in Donald Trump's America": [link removed]

(September 30, 2020) The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence's new video ([link removed]) highlights the deadly gun violence epidemic occurring on Trump's watch and urges Americans to prioritize gun violence prevention when voting for president.

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Urges Senate to Reject Trump's Supreme Court Nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Who Could Destroy Gun Violence Prevention Progress: [link removed]

(September 26, 2020) Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz said, "Amy Coney Barrett has a track record of opposing the Affordable Care Act while supporting discriminatory policies negatively impacting the rights of minorities, women, and the poor and vulnerable. The intentional deprivation of resources and opportunity is the root cause of the homicide crisis that disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities. Barrett's tolerance for discriminatory policies coupled with her dangerous approach to interpreting the Second Amendment in her Kanter v. Barr dissent makes her unfit for the highest court in the land. We have real reason to fear that if empowered with a seat on the court, she has the potential to play a role in the destruction of decades of progress improving gun safety laws. In real terms, this could result in the deadly formula of easier access to guns for those who shouldn't have them plus increased systemic inequalities, resulting in an exacerbated gun violence problem and more lives lost."

Failure to Charge Police Officers Responsible for Killing Breonna Taylor Decreases Community Trust, Incites Subsequent Violence: [link removed]

(September 24, 2020) Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Director of Outreach and Equity Lauren Footman said, "Breonna Taylor was wrongfully killed in her own home by Louisville police. For months, Americans have been peacefully calling for justice for Breonna Taylor and her loved ones. This week, a Louisville grand jury failed to charge any of the three police officers involved in the killing with murdering Taylor. When communities crying out for justice see two officers walk free and one charged with a crime unrelated to Taylor's killing, it destroys what little trust existed between those communities and the police."

New Report Highlights Need for Stronger Laws Against Guns at Polling Places in Swing States: [link removed]

(September 23, 2020) Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz said, "Voting is vital to our democracy, and any attempt to prevent voters from exercising their right erodes the integrity of our elections and damages our nation. Simply put, guns threaten our public discourse, and there is no place more important to this discourse -- and our future -- than our polling locations."

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Mourns Death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Calls for No Vote on Replacement Until After Inauguration: [link removed]

(September 21, 2020) "The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, our staff and partners join the nation in mourning the death of this incredible leader, celebrating her legacy, and committing to fight for justice in her name. As we celebrate her accomplishments and seek to follow her example, it would be undemocratic for the Senate to vote on a Supreme Court Justice nomination until after the presidential inauguration. Forcing a nomination now would fly in the face of the course of justice and fairness she pursued. Let us take the torch that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has lit for us. We must fight for justice and democracy, and we must not let her down."


ARTICLES & PRESS

Trump's Calls For Poll Watchers Raises Fears About Voter Intimidation: [link removed]

(September 30, 2020) Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz was interviewed by NPR. "All we're asking is that local election officials and state officials do what they can in the remaining month to best protect their polling places and the integrity of the elections."

Preventing Armed Intimidation at the Polls: [link removed]

(September 25, 2020) Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz was interviewed by The Trace. "You're already starting to see vociferous protests at early polling places. I have no doubt that there will be guns added to that mix."

Risks, number of firearm suicides grow with pandemic: [link removed]

(September 24, 2020) Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Suicide Prevention Specialist Dakota Jablon was published in Thrive Global. "There are no easy answers to the pain and suffering that so many are facing, and on exceptionally hard days, it can feel that there's only one solution. By making it harder to access firearms, we'll be ensuring that more of our fellow Americans, more of our loved ones, are able to overcome a suicidal crisis and remain here with us, to help build a better tomorrow."

It's Legal to Bring Guns to Polling Places in Five Battleground States, A New Study Says: [link removed]

(September 23, 2020) The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Guns Down America's report, "Guns Down at the Polls: How States Can and Should Limit Firearms at Polling Places," was mentioned in the New York Times.

California gun law on microstamping can help solve crimes. Industry must accept it: [link removed]

(September 18, 2020) Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Policy Analyst Ari Davis was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. "We encourage Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign into law California's new microstamping bill, which incentivizes the industry to do the right thing. It's time for gun manufacturers to show they're serious about being part of the solution to gun violence in America. By signing the bill into law, the governor can push the industry in the right direction."

Violence Is Increasing During COVID-19. We Asked This Gun Violence Expert Why: [link removed]

(September 17, 2020) Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz was interviewed by Courier. "Our mission is to make gun violence rare and abnormal. One of the reasons we use the word abnormal is because we think gun violence has been normalized. It means people just ignore it and say, 'Well, that's an inevitable part of life,' when it's not. First of all, gun violence was not always an inevitable part of American life. It's not an inevitable part of life in other comparable countries. I think allowing yourself to be numb or normalize this is a big problem."

PRESENTATIONS

Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Policy Analyst Ari Davis gave an online presentation about community violence intervention and prevention programs to the DC Youth Lobbying Collective, a group of student gun violence prevention activists organized by Team Enough and March for Our Lives, on September 27, 2020.

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Senior Director of Advocacy Lori Haas participated in a Facebook Live discussion with Senator Mark Warner, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton, and Moms Demand Action Founder Shannon Watts on September 24, 2020.

Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Policy Analyst Lisa Geller and Director of State Affairs Jen Pauliukonis presented at the 26th annual Georgia Commission on Family Violence conference on September 15, 2020. Their breakout panel, entitled "Firearm Removal: Preventing Family Violence through Protection Orders," was the highest attended breakout with over 225 participants.

Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Suicide Prevention Specialist Dakota Jablon joined the American Association of Suicidology for a Facebook Live discussion about suicide prevention on September 16, 2020.

Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence Suicide Prevention Specialist Dakota Jablon gave an online presentation about firearm suicide for the 2020 Wyoming Suicide Prevention Symposium at the Wyoming Department of Health on September 4, 2020.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

The California legislature passed Assembly Bill 2847, a microstamping bill that would require newer model handguns sold in California to be microstamped and Assembly Bill 2617, a bill expanding the authority of the Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) to prohibit and individual subject to a valid GVRO issued by an out-of-state jurisdiction to possess a firearm in California. Both bills were signed by the governor on September 29, 2020.

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence helped Congresswoman Lauren Underwood introduce the Lethal Means Safety Training Act, which would improve the suicide prevention training that health care providers within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs currently receive. The bill was discussed in a legislative hearing last month. We submitted official written testimony on the nuanced intersection of mental illness and gun violence for the committee hearing, We also coordinated a letter of endorsement of the bill by two dozen leading health care professionals and academics in the gun violence and suicide prevention space. The Congresswoman publicly thanked Director of Federal Affairs Dakota Jablon for her expertise in developing this legislation. The video of the congresswoman's remarks are here: [link removed]


UPCOMING EVENTS

This October, join us for our Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Las Vegas to Pittsburgh Virtual Get Out the Vote for Gun Violence Prevention Tour. From October 1 - October 27, we will highlight gun violence prevention champions running for office and encourage our followers to help get out the vote in these elections. Tune in to help us expand the gun violence prevention majority in the House of Representatives and bring a gun violence prevention majority to the Senate! All videos will be available on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.


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