Anti-Gun Lobby Takes Victory Lap, Touts 2023 ‘Wins’

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The anti-gun lobby is taking a victory lap this week regarding its “wins” so far in 2023.

Everytown for Gun Safety put out a press release Wednesday saying they’re celebrating an “historic year for gun safety.”

The organization, which is primarily funded by billionaire Michael Bloomberg, claims state legislatures have passed more than 80 “gun safety policies” and blocked 95% of the gun lobby’s agenda.

It also says it “allocated more than $530 million to gun violence prevention.”

“State governments have long been laboratories for change when it comes to gun safety, and that is especially true in 2023,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety in a press release obtained by GunsAmerica. 

“State by state, and law by law, we are proving that standing up for gun safety is both good politics and good policy,” he added.

As per the Anti-Gun Lobby’s data, states have established:

• Block Illegal Gun Access:
  • Universal background checks: Michigan, Minnesota.
  • Waiting periods for firearm purchase: Colorado, Vermont, Washington.
  • Ban on straw purchasing: New Mexico, Vermont.
• Accountability for the Gun Industry:
  • Ban or strengthen laws against assault weapons: Connecticut, Washington.
  • Facilitate lawsuits against gun industry offenders: Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Washington.
  • Office of Gun Violence Prevention (via governor): North Carolina.
  • Ban ghost guns: Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon.
• Promote Responsible Gun Ownership:
  • Enhance secure firearm storage: Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Vermont.
  • Bolster permit systems: Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland.
  • Encourage secure storage education: Louisiana, Maryland, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington.
  • Mandate gun buyer training: Connecticut, Hawaii, Washington.
• Keep Guns Away from High-Risk Individuals:
  • Enact an Extreme Risk Law: Michigan, Minnesota.
  • Expand current Extreme Risk Law: Colorado, Vermont.
  • Prohibit domestic abusers from owning guns: Vermont.
  • Increase gun purchase age: Colorado, Connecticut.
  • Provide funding for community interventions against violence: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington (totaling over $530M).

States led by the GOP, which haven’t greenlit any NRA-prioritized bill, include Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, and twelve others.

National Shootings Sports Foundation (NSSF) Responds

The National Shootings Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry trade association, slammed this announcement from the anti-gun lobby.

“Everytown’s celebration of unconstitutional gun control laws is premature given all the pending court challenges to their unconstitutional laws,” said Mark Oliva, NSSF’s managing director of public affairs, in an email to GunsAmerica.

“But I guess that’s what you do when you spend Michael Bloomberg’s money on gun control pet projects that are destined to die in courts,” he added.

Oliva went on to say, “I’m still looking for one law that Everytown championed that will make communities safer by holding criminals accountable. Instead, they want to weaponize legislatures against law-abiding citizens, deprive people of their rights and clog the courts with frivolous lawsuits that are prohibited by federal law.”

Oliva further touted the firearm industry’s efforts, such as partnering with law enforcement in Project ChildSafe®, providing over 40 million firearm safety kits with locks, and their continuous investment in safer community initiatives. He contends that the real solutions lie in these actions rather than the political maneuvers funded by Bloomberg.

“The firearm industry is investing in Real Solutions for Safer Communities while Everytown is dumping Bloomberg’s billions into bought-and-paid-for politicians to carry their antigun campaign water,” said Oliva.

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