WASHINGTON — This week, while the nation was reeling over the tragedy in Uvalde and calling for decisive action, Republicans in both chambers in Michigan voted to block action on gun safety legislation, including background checks and safe storage requirements. In Pennsylvania, Republicans in the House callously did the same, continuing two decades of GOP inaction in the state. In stark contrast, Democrats in California’s Senate passed a bill modeled on Texas’ abortion bounty-hunter bill allowing people to sue makers or sellers of ghost guns and illegal assault weapons. Last week, Illinois Democrats’ ban on ghost guns became law. This contrast is playing out all across the country: every Democratic-controlled legislature has passed laws to curb gun violence in the past few years, while Republicans continue to cozy up to the gun lobby and weaken their gun laws, making it even easier for dangerous people to get a gun.
“State Democrats have continued passing popular gun safety measures to prevent the next tragedy, while Republicans refuse to act even in the wake of yet another preventable tragedy,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “The time to act is now. But Republicans have proven time and time again that they are unwilling to protect our children and our country from the danger of gun violence. In stark contrast, Democrats continue to take action across the country to enact popular and effective gun safety measures. The difference couldn’t be more clear – Republican leadership has made Americans less safe.”
State Republicans that are cozy with the NRA are actively ignoring gun safety measures and passing laws that directly lead to mass shootings. In the months leading up to the shooting in Texas, after previous mass shootings in the state, state Republicans passed numerous laws weakening gun safety in the state — where an 18-year-old was legally able to purchase AR-15s and murder 19 children and two teachers. Twenty-five states have embraced permitless carry, allowing dangerous individuals to obtain and conceal guns without any training.
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