Reducing Gun Violence: What Can We Do? Town Hall Meeting Sacramento, CA

In the wake of last Friday’s deadly shooting in Santa Monica, California that resulted in the loss of five lives, Sacramento Mighty Oaks Chapter of Organizing for Action and long-time Curtis Park resident and activist Mimi Budd co-hosted an open community forum to discuss the implementation of common sense gun laws in Northern California and across the nation.

Nick and Amanda Wilcox, Legislation and Policy Chairs of the California Chapters of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, presented compelling evidence for across the board, non-partisan support for closing loopholes that currently permit dangerous individuals such as convicted felons to obtain firearms without regard for their past violent behavior.  While nine out of 10 Americans and 74% of NRA members support Universal Background Checks (UBCs) for firearms purchases, 40% of sales countywide are transacted without any checks for felony criminal records or serious mental health problems that affect judgment and impulse control.

Nick and Amanda also presented compelling statistics gathered nationally and in California which suggest that 1) UBCs are effective in keeping guns out of the wrong hands, and 2) California’s comparatively tougher, proactive gun laws have led to greater continued declines in firearm-related mortality than those observed nationally.

Bridging the Divide and Changing the Perception

Beginning in 1993 with introduction of the Brady law which required federally licensed gun dealers to   perform background checks, the nation began to see reductions in mortality resulting from shootings of all types.  However, only approximately 60% of gun dealers are federally licensed. 

Prior to this, California began a process in 1990 to implement UBCs that required checks on all gun sales and transfers, including gun show and private sales.  Additionally, the California legislature has approved laws that:  extend ownership restrictions to include certain violent misdemeanors, create a 10 day waiting period for purchase, require the seizure of weapons at domestic violence incidents, restrict possession by individuals subject to restraining or protective orders, and strengthen bans on military style assault weapons and large caliber sniper rifles.

From 1994 to 2009, 1.9 million gun sales were declined nationally.  Declines in gun-related deaths were also observed in the years following the Brady check law.  However, national mortality rate has plateaued in recent years while California’s has continued to drop.  The state has seen a sharp, 64% decline in gun-related mortality since 1993.  The current rate of 7.5 deaths per 100,000 falls significantly below the national average of 10.3 per 100,000. The data strongly suggest the additional positive impact of California’s gun laws that help to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.

However, as evidenced by the recent failure of the Manchin-Toomey amendment (favoring expansion of background checks and closing existing loopholes), legislative awareness and action lag severely behind the broad-based support and increasing demand for congressional action  -- congressional action that holds great potential to reduce rates of injury and mortality, as well as the economic burden borne by victims, the health care industry, and government health care programs -- a burden that over time has reached into the billions.

Despite this stall, current house bill H.R. 1565 seeks to extend Brady background checks to all gun show, commercial, and internet sales.   The bill is co-sponsored by 180 bi-partisan legislators including chief sponsor Rep. Peter King of New York and local Representatives Ami Bera, John Garamendi, and Doris Matsui.   Other Northern California Representatives Tom McClintock, Doug LaMalfa, and Jeff Denham have not indicated any support despite the groundswell of support from the general public and law-abiding gun owners.  Will they continue to ignore their constituents’ calls for common sense gun laws? 

Our representatives need to hear directly from the 90%!

Contact Information

Tom McClintock

434 Cannon HOB

Washington, D.C 20515

Phone: 202.225.2511

Fax:  202.225.5444

District Office:

8700 Auburn-Folsom Road, Suite 100

Granite Bay, CA 95746

Phone: 916.786.5560

Fax:  916.783.6364

Twitter: @RepMcClintock

Doug LaMalfa

506 Canon HOB

Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone:  202.225.3076

District Office

1453 Downer Street, Suite A

Oroville, CA 95965

Phone: 530.534.7100

Fax:  530.534.7100

Twitter:  @RepLaMalfa

Jeff Denham

1730 Longworth HON

Washington, D.C. 20515

Phone: 202.225.4540

Fax 202.225.3402

District Office

4701 Sisk Road, Suite 202

Modesto, CA 95356

Phone: 209.579.5458

Fax:  (209) 579.5028

Twitter: @RepJeffDenham