(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and the governors of eleven other states have a message for President Donald Trump: It’s time for federal action on measures that prevent gun violence.
Today, the governors of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington sent a letter to the president, writing that while it’s important for states to take action on public safety, “a patchwork of state laws will never be a substitute for coherent national policy.”
They are urging President Trump to work with Congress to pass four pieces of legislation on a national basis, including the establishment of extreme rick protection orders, commonly referred to as “red flag laws;” the adoption of universal background checks that close the private gun sales loophole; the banning of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; and the establishment of stricter reporting requirements to prevent those deemed by mental health professionals to be a danger to themselves or others from purchasing a firearm.
“When it comes to the prevention of gun violence, we are only as strong as the state with the weakest laws,” Governor Lamont said. “Here in Connecticut, we’ve shown that we can pass smart, commonsense, and constitutional gun safety policies, but a large number of states continue to drag their feet on even the most basic measures that have close to near-universal support. We need Congress to take action – the overwhelming majority of Americans are demanding it.”
The following is the text of the governors’ letter to President Trump:
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To: The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump Cc: Senate Majority Leader, The Honorable Mitch McConnell Our country continues to mourn the tragic events in Gilroy, El Paso, Dayton, Philadelphia, and Odessa. These five unnecessary and horrific tragedies took at least 34 lives, wounded dozens, and caused emotional trauma to countless others. Unfortunately, these losses account for only a fraction of recent gun-related deaths. In 2019, over 10,000 people have been shot and killed, and 570 people were killed by a gun in the past two weeks alone. Thoughts and prayers won’t fix this disturbing trend. Enough is enough. Public safety is the first and most important responsibility of government, and the failure to act to protect the public is a failure in leadership. As Governors, it is our responsibility to listen to our communities’ calls for action. However, a patchwork of state laws will never be a substitute for coherent national policy. The federal government has a history of acting on gun reform when the American public demands it. In 1934, the federal government regulated machine guns. In 1968, the federal government banned mail order gun sales. In 1994, the federal government implemented a 10-year ban on assault weapons. Americans are again calling on their government to act, and it’s time to listen. Putting an end to the gun violence epidemic is not a Republican or Democratic issue, it is an American issue. Gun deaths do not have to be the norm. The time is now to break the cycle by enacting four common-sense measures. We implore you to work with Congress to pass sensible gun legislation that includes the following four policies that a majority of Americans support:
The American public supports action. So do we. Governor Andrew Cuomo Governor Gavin Newsom Governor Ned Lamont Governor John Carney Governor JB Pritzker Governor Gretchen Whitmer Governor Phil Murphy Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Governor Kate Brown Governor Tom Wolf Governor Gina Raimondo Governor Jay Inslee |
**Download: Letter from coalition of governors to President Trump on gun safety