Yesterday, hundreds of Moms Demand Action volunteers, as well as survivors of gun violence joined together for the first-ever Minnesota Moms Demand Action Virtual Advocacy Day. The virtual day of action was held in lieu of the chapter’s annual Advocacy Day at the statehouse to urge Minnesota senators – through email, calls, letters, and social media – to pass the House-passed background check and red flag bills.
In response to growing health concerns around COVID-19, and in an effort to honor the dedication of the hundreds of volunteers and survivors of gun violence who had RSVP’d to the in-person event, the chapter held a Virtual Advocacy Day. Moms Demand Action volunteers, gun safety advocates, and gun violence survivors sent emails and letters to lawmakers, uploaded countless videos, and posts on social media to advocate for gun safety throughout the day.
Here are some photos from the Minnesota chapter’s Advocacy day:
For the second year in a row, Minnesota House lawmakers followed through on their commitment to prioritize gun safety by passing bills to require background checks on all handgun sales and create a red flag law in Minnesota. Now, Minnesotans are demanding that the Senate stop blocking these gun safety measures and take action on gun safety. On average, Minnesota has more than 400 gun deaths every year and gun deaths have increased 26 percent in the last decade. New voter research shows that voters in Minnesota support stronger gun safety laws by a 5:1 margin.
More information about background checks here and red flag laws here. Statistics about gun violence in Minnesota are available here, and information on how Minnesota’s gun laws compare to other states overall is available here.
If you have any questions, or would like to speak with volunteers with Minnesota Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action or survivors of gun violence, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
