Brady Newsletter February 03, 2019

Next week will see the first hearing on gun violence prevention in almost a decade. [This week in Brady News]( View this email as a [webpage]( News to Use [Brady VP, Litigation Jonathan Lowy enters a Texas courthouse before representing the families of the Sutherland Springs victims] Almost 14 months after the massacre at Sutherland Springs United Methodist Church, Brady’s Legal team was in a Texas courthouse fighting for victims and survivors. The suit claims that the dealer illegally sold an assault rifle to the killer, who used it to kill 27 and wound 20 in the shooting. Brady’s Jon Lowy argued against the gun dealer’s motion to dismiss the case as barred by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. We expect a decision soon. At Brady we #honorwithaction! San Diego Unified School District has launched an effort to expand the community conversation around guns, declaring the second week of February as Gun Violence Prevention Week. Local Brady chapters in San Diego have taken a leading role in planning and implementing a gun violence prevention week, including info for parents and students on end family fire, a town hall with elected officials, gun violence educational curricula, and other ways for students to show the impact that gun violence has on their communities. [GVP Week in San Diego] Join us this Tuesday, Feb. 5 (promise!) for Brady’s State of the Union Bingo! We’ll be at [Sudhouse DC]( but you can also play along from home no matter where you are or who you’re with. Prizes will be given for various categories, including biggest watch party, first Bingo, etc. You can download your own Bingo cards on the Brady website. Odds are we won’t be hearing too much about gun violence prevention, so let’s do what we can to Make watching a little more enjoyable! [State of the Union Bingo]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Policy Update Next week will see the [first hearing on gun violence prevention]( in almost a decade. Brady-endorsed Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY), Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, will be holding a hearing on Wednesday, February 6, at 10:00am. While the hearing will broadly cover gun violence prevention issues, it is expected to prepare for the passage of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Check Act of 2019, which has already garnered 229 cosponsors. Rep. Jim Himes (CT) has introduced the Start Advancing Firearms Enhancements and Technology (SAFETY) Act. This bill is designed to promote the development and purchase of smart gun technology by providing incentives for manufacturers and consumers. Gun violence prevention champions Sens. Richard Blumenthal (CT) and Chris Murphy (CT) have also partnered up to introduce “Ethan’s Law,” a bill to hold gun owners who fail to safely store or secure their firearms accountable for the unintentional and tragic consequences that all too frequently result from negligent storage practices. Both of these laws would help prevent the theft or misuse of firearms. Eight kids and teens are unintentionally shot or killed every day with improperly stored guns. These common tragedies led to the creation of the Brady-sponsored “End Family Fire” campaign in 2018, which aims to reduce “family fire” related incidents. Additionally, the new pro-GVP Congress saw the introduction of another piece of bipartisan legislation this week: Reps. Anthony Brown (D MD-04) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R PA-01) introduced H.R. 717, the Raise The Age Act. This bill, if passed, would raise the age to purchase a semi-automatic assault-style rifle from 18 to 21. Under current federal law, individuals must be 21 to purchase handguns, but only 18 to purchase long guns, including semi-automatic rifles. --------------------------------------------------------------- Gun Violence Prevention Heroes of the Week For years, Ed Gall has stood with the Sarasota County chapter of the Brady Campaign, calling attention to the epidemic of gun violence. Ed, now 98 years old, has long advocated for active nonviolence, and has been a fixture at the chapter’s demonstrations every Thursday afternoon. Ed has described himself as “one more body” for the gun violence prevention movement, but chapter members know he’s much more than that. He is, indeed, a true hero. --------------------------------------------------------------- Brady in the News A new study published in Pediatrics found that the rate of gun-related mortality among American children 1-4 years of age nearly doubled between 2006 and 2016, a surge attributed by researchers to the increased number of handguns in children’s homes. Brady president Kris Brown told [USA Today]( that there is significant data supporting the idea that access to guns contributes to children’s deaths, and pointed to the importance of supporting programs like [End Family Fire](. A number of signs are pointing towards the decline of the NRA and the corporate gun lobby, including a dip in revenue over the past few years. Brown spoke with [Roll Call]( noting the increased national attention to and widening support for gun violence prevention. Lawyers from the Brady Center represented the families of Sutherland Springs shooting victims in court in San Antonio, arguing that the dealer who sold the shooter his gun and high-capacity magazine violated federal law. The [San Antonio Express-News]( has more. 40 years after the first school shooting in San Diego history, leaders of San Diego Unified School District are taking action to promote gun violence prevention, providing an example for school districts across the country. School Board Trustee Kevin Beiser writes about the effort in the [San Diego Union-Tribune](. Team ENOUGH executive council member Robert Schentrup, whose sister Carmen was murdered in the Parkland shooting, spoke to a forum in Sarasota, FL about why his generation is so motivated by school shootings. The [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]( reported that Schentrup and Brady National Organizing Director Robert Disney noted the importance of continuing to have conversations with elected officials, even if they haven’t always been on the side of gun violence prevention. --------------------------------------------------------------- News Quote of the Week: “The American public made their voices heard last November in electing a Congress that cares about gun safety more than gun industry profits, and they are leading the charge to take real action to address the epidemic of gun violence. We are excited about next week’s hearing, the first in Congress to focus on proactive gun safety measures in almost a decade, but we’re even more excited about the next hearing, the one after that, and the one after that. Gun safety is an issue that isn’t going away, and we finally have a Congress that recognizes that and is willing to confront it head on.” - [Brady President Kris Brown]( Follow Brady on Social Media: [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Follow us on Instagram]( Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence 840 First Street, NE Suite 400 Washington, DC 20002 United States Our work is made possible by supporters like you. Please consider making a gift today. [DONATE]( If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please [unsubscribe](