CONTACT:
Allison Janowski
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Chicago, IL – In case you missed it, Governor JB Pritzker and Moms Demand Action Executive Director Angela Ferrell-Zabala published an Op-Ed in Teen Vogue reflecting on the one-year anniversary of the horrific mass shooting in Highland Park and the importance of strengthening gun safety laws to prevent further senseless tragedies.
Earlier this year, Illinois Democrats led the charge to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Illinois Democrats have also taken nation-leading action to strengthen background checks, ban ghost guns, and implement gun dealer licensing to eliminate straw purchases, so that all Illinoisans may live free from gun violence.
Highlights from Teen Vogue:
“Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are often chosen by perpetrators of the violence that has gripped our nation. These exceptionally deadly firearms are weapons of war designed to deliver maximum destruction. Its bullets fly more than 3,000 feet per second and inflict much more serious wounds to their victims than a typical handgun.”
“This way of life is uniquely American, where we attempt to coexist with weapons of war in our grocery stores, churches, theaters, and schools. It has led to countless premature burials and preventable instances of violence, more than in any other civilized nation.”
“We are not helpless in the fight against gun violence. States can take action to reduce fatalities and injuries by limiting access to assault weapons and high-capacity magazines…These kinds of laws save lives. How do we know? Because Congress banned assault weapons for a decade beginning in 1994, and shootings and deaths from firearms decreased. Unfortunately, gun lobby-backed politicians have refused to reinstate the ban despite its proven effectiveness.”
“There is broad public support for bold action to curb gun violence. And while the passage of Red Flag laws, background checks, and secure firearms storage requirements are critical to addressing the gun violence crisis, we also must reinstate a federal assault weapons ban.”
“There is broad public support for bold action to curb gun violence. And while the passage of Red Flag laws, background checks, and secure firearms storage requirements are critical to addressing the gun violence crisis, we also must reinstate a federal assault weapons ban.”
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