gun violence

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, led a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (Screenshot from U.S. Senate webcast)

Gun violence as a public health crisis explored by U.S. Senate Democrats

BY: - November 29, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats on Tuesday discussed how to treat gun violence as a public health crisis, in hopes of building upon last year’s federal gun safety legislation. “Across the country, gun violence is a public health epidemic,” Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin, the chairman of the committee, said in his opening remarks. […]

Second from left, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., leads a roundtable discussion on issues of gun violence, in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill Nov. 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C. Democrats from the House Oversight Committee organized the event. Also pictured, L-R, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., Mariah Cooley, board member of March for Our Lives, Joseph Blocher, professor of law at the Duke University School of Law, in Durham, N.C., and James Timpson, managing director of community violence initiatives at Roca Inc. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

‘Nationwide gun emergency’ discussed by U.S. House Democrats at roundtable meeting

BY: - November 15, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats held a Monday roundtable forum on changing U.S. gun laws following a recent mass shooting in Maine, where 18 people were killed.  The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, invited witnesses to discuss gun violence solutions, and said that the gun lobby industry, the National Rifle Association […]

White House calls for stronger gun policy reforms after Maine shooting

BY: - October 27, 2023

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called on Congress on Thursday to strengthen gun safety laws in the wake of the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine. Jean-Pierre opened Thursday’s press briefing with a statement on the shootings, saying President Joe Biden stepped out of a state dinner Wednesday night to receive an initial briefing on the […]

Ohio bill allowing guns in some government buildings may have significant loophole

BY: - October 26, 2023

A bill loosening gun laws in Ohio by allowing firearms in some government buildings may have a significant loophole that hurts domestic violence survivors, a WEWS/OCJ analysis discovered. Year after year, Ohio lawmakers have introduced legislation to expand gun rights. State Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) is the latest. “Our constituents are enthused on us standing […]

A discussion on preventing gun violence included, from left to right: Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association Executive Director Kevin Holst, Everytown for Gun Safety Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Monisha Henley, Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Former NFL player and gun safety activist Brandon Short, Vermont Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos. (Photo by Samantha Dietel/States Newsroom).

Democratic lieutenant governors, advocates, discuss solutions to prevent gun violence

BY: - October 26, 2023

WASHINGTON — Six lieutenant governors from across the country joined gun violence prevention advocates to share their stories and offer solutions at a policy discussion event Tuesday. The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association hosted the gun violence prevention policy summit, which was the first event of its kind. The DLGA partnered with the gun violence prevention […]

Pistols on the shelf at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama store on March 25, 2021, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Biden administration to create new gun violence prevention office

BY: - September 25, 2023

WASHINGTON — The White House Thursday announced the formation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention that will help states and local governments as they implement a gun safety legislative package President Joe Biden signed into law last year. Lacking additional action in Congress to curb gun violence, “the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along […]

Police in Minneapolis unravel crime scene tape in 2020, a year marked by a stark rise in homicides. Community violence intervention programs offer a data-backed alternative to policing. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

DeWine announces second full-scale crime gun intelligence center in Ohio

BY: - September 20, 2023

In an effort to curb gun violence, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a new Central Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) Tuesday. CGIC launched this summer and is housed within the Ohio Department of Public Safety. It operates in partnership with Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio Attorney General’s […]

Despite rise in child deaths, Ohio lawmakers won’t allow for gun safety laws

BY: - September 6, 2023

Ohio is seeing an increase in shooting deaths for children and teens, but state lawmakers refuse to put forward gun safety laws and won’t let cities enact their own either. Across Ohio, big city leaders are pleading to state lawmakers. “Do something about the guns flooding our streets,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said during a […]

Gun law raises funding concerns for school hunting programs

BY: - September 5, 2023

WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are concerned that the Biden administration is interpreting last year’s bipartisan gun safety law to cut funding for school archery and hunting programs, though programs themselves say they haven’t been affected. A provision in the law – a bipartisan effort to curb gun violence that established new criminal offenses, and expanded background […]

“No shooting death is just a number,” Ohioans call for common gun sense

BY: - July 28, 2023

Ohioans across the political spectrum want common sense guns laws.  A recent Suffolk University/USA Today poll shows 92% of Ohioans want mandatory background checks for firearm purchases — including 99% Democrats and 88% Republicans.  But instead, the Republican-controlled Statehouse has loosened gun laws. “Let’s call a spade a spade,” said Ohio House Minority Leader Allison […]

Police in Minneapolis unravel crime scene tape in 2020, a year marked by a stark rise in homicides. Community violence intervention programs offer a data-backed alternative to policing. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Cities have ways to curb gun violence; feds are giving them more money

BY: - July 7, 2023

When shots ring out on the South and West sides of Chicago, Sam Castro and his team at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago race to the scene of the shooting and to the hospital where emergency responders are treating the gunshot victim. Knowing most of the city’s gun violence is caused by a small cluster […]

Cincinnati wants to require residents to lock up their guns and is suing the state to make it happen

BY: - June 30, 2023

As Cincinnati’s lawsuit against Ohio to allow for them to create their own gun safety regulations is being heard in a state court, Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation to make guns safer. Cincinnati has a plan for reducing gun violence. “A trigger lock can be the difference between life and death for a child or a […]