Ending Gun Violence

Every year, more than 400 Minnesotans are killed with guns. In America, children are more likely to die by firearms than car accidents. As our families are threatened by gun violence and our children are frightened by active shooter drills, the big-money gun lobby prevents the passage of common-sense legislation favored by the majority of Americans. I support requiring background checks on all gun sales, passing a red flag law limiting gun access for people proven to be a danger to themselves or others, disarming domestic abusers, and taking other common-sense actions to end gun violence. Data shows taking these measures drastically improves outcomes, and Minnesotans deserve better than what our current gun culture looks like.

In recent years, decisions by lower courts and the evolving makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court have created uncertainty and anxiety around where the legal line between the rights of gun owners and public safety is drawn. As someone who fervently supports legislation that would decrease and hopefully one day altogether end gun violence, I have been in discussions with colleagues across the aisle to explore legislation that we can agree upon that would find this balance. While this remains a challenging area for policymakers, we must at minimum engage in conversations to understand where there is room for meaningful progress on this critically important societal issue.

This past session, I was proud to partner with the Violence Prevention Project Research Center to secure funding for its efforts dedicated to reducing violence in society and using data and analysis to improve policy and practice. The Center’s research on mass shootings and gun violence will give the legislature the tools for evidence-based policy development on gun violence prevention and intervention.