Brady Weekly

They said it would never happen — but we did it! For the first time in 25 years, voters flipped the Virginia House and Senate to a gun violence prevention majority. But these election wins weren’t easy. Brady and our partners in the movement to end gun violence worked tirelessly for months, endorsing 50 candidates, knocking on hundreds of doors, and phone banking for gun safety champions.

Team Brady canvassing in the highly-contested SD-13 race for the newly elected John Bell.

All of our hard work paid off! Nearly 80% of Brady-endorsed candidates won Tuesday night, defeating the NRA in its home state.

This week proved what we already knew: gun violence prevention is a winning issue. We look forward to carrying this historic win into 2020. Help celebrate by sharing our victory graphic on Facebook!

Thursday, November 7, marked one year since a gunman shot and killed 12 people and injured at least 10 others at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, California. Among those killed that night included a police officer, a veteran, college students, and a man who survived the tragic Route 91 mass shooting in Las Vegas. We must honor their lives by passing and implementing solutions that we know will end gun violence, like extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs).

Prior to the shooting, police officers visited the gunman’s home and identified his behavior as dangerous. This would have been a perfect opportunity for officers to implement an ERPO — they allow police officers and concerned family members to remove access to guns from someone who is at risk of harming themselves or others. Learn more about extreme risk laws and how they can prevent gun violence.

The Senate is Refusing to Close the Deadly “Boyfriend Loophole” in Gun Laws

Every 16 hours, a woman is shot and killed by a current or former partner. There’s a solution — in April, the House reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with a new provision to close the “boyfriend loophole,” which allows convicted domestic abusers and stalkers to access guns. But this week, Sen. Joni Ernst said the Senate will abandon the House bill to reauthorize VAWA.

In other words, the Senate is siding with the gun lobby over victims and survivors of domestic violence. Please join us in urging Senators to stand with survivors and reauthorize VAWA now!

We’re Holding the Gun Industry Accountable

Did you know that about 5% of gun dealers are responsible for about 90% of recovered crime guns? That means that a small minority of gun dealers — mainly from different states — supply the criminal market that floods our communities with guns. This week, Brady’s Combating Crime Guns Initiative (CCGI) took action to hold gun dealers accountable. We filed formal requests under Wisconsin’s and California’s open records laws for information on the sources of crime guns in Milwaukee, Oakland, and Los Angeles. We will vigorously advocate for this information from these localities in order to support CCGI’s efforts in these communities. Learn more about our Combating Crime Guns program.

This week, we were proud to attend the first annual “Preventing Gun Violence Research Symposium” by the Rutgers Center on Gun Violence (RCGV). Joined by local New Jersey chapter members from Brady Bergen County, Brady Union County, and Brady Middlesex County, we talked to researchers about community-based solutions to end gun violence.

New Secret Service Report Finds 76% of Guns Used in School Shootings Came from the Home

This week, the U.S. Secret Service released a report on school shootings. In addition to identifying warning signs of mass shooters, the report pinpoints that unsecured guns in the home are the chief source of the problem. It's clear that if we want to end gun violence, we urgently need to promote and educate about safe storage. Just last week, we helped introduce the bipartisan Prevent Family Fire Act of 2019, which would help ensure guns are safely stored and out of the hands of children. Learn more about safe storage solutions through our End Family Fire program.

Catch up with all things Brady through our podcast — Red, Blue, and Brady! New episodes —

Chris Hurst — who on Tuesday was reelected to the Virginia House— shares how he left his career in journalism to run for office after the murder of his girlfriend, reporter Alison Parker, and
her cameraman, Adam Ward. 🎧 Listen now.
JJ, JP, and Christian team up to talk about Virginia elections — namely, how a gun violence majority got elected in Virginia. 🎧 Listen now.
Join JJ as she takes you through elections, anniversaries, and #ThisIsOurLane, by listening to our weekly wrap up of gun violence prevention news. 🎧 Listen now.

Brady has a new partner! Through Her Eyes is a new podcast that explores the hidden pain of mothers in America who have lost their children to senseless gun violence. Check out this new podcast that shares compelling stories. Listen now.

From Virginia Tech to Virginia Beach, gun violence has changed the lives and communities of Virginians forever. But from these tragedies have risen dedicated activists who are on unapologetic quests to end gun violence. For decades, they’ve fought to make Virginia safer, and after Tuesday’s historic election results, it’s clear their hard work has paid off. It hasn’t always been this way, and some never thought it would, but Virginia is now home to one of the strongest gun violence prevention movements in the country. Thanks to —

Andy Goddard, Richmond Chapter Leader — leads legislative efforts in Richmond, testifying on nearly every gun violence prevention bill in Virginia’s General Assembly. Goddard has been active in the movement since his son, Colin Goddard, was shot at Virginia Tech.
Martina Leinz, Brady Board Member — supports the broader advocacy and legislative efforts in Northern Virginia (NOVA) and Richmond. She plays an integral role in making sure Brady has boots on the ground throughout Richmond.
Julie Keller, Brady Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter Leader — has been an active voice in the movement since the Sandy Hook shooting. Every month, Julie protests outside of the NRA’s headquarters.
Lori Haas, Senior Director of Advocacy, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence — turned activists after her daughter was shot at Virginia Tech. Lori is a key figure in making sure legislators know about legislation that will save lives and prevent gun violence.

The list of those who made electing a gun violence prevention majority in Virginia goes on and on. We thank the entire gun violence prevention movement for an unforgettable victory.

A push for gun control helped dems win Virginia. Advocates want the same in 2020, WAMU

Protesters urge Republicans to take up gun reform measures, ABC, WKOW

Congressman honored for gun violence prevention, Lincoln Journal Courier

Brady Quote of the Week 🎤

“In Wisconsin, we allow domestic abusers to buy guns online with no questions asked; is this acceptable?”

— Anneliese Dickman, Brady Program Manager, Milwaukee, during Thursday's rally on gun reform in Wisconsin

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