CARSON CITY, Nev. – Nevada Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statement after the Senate announced it will not provide further consideration to Senate Bill 171. This comes after Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed the measure that would have prohibited the purchase, possession or ownership of a firearm by a person who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit a hate crime.
“Hate is more deadly when armed with a gun,” said Jamie Bunnell, a volunteer with the Nevada chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Republican legislators and Governor Lombardo stood with the gun lobby over the safety of those most vulnerable in our society. We commend our gun sense champion lawmakers for their unwavering leadership and swift action on this matter – and will hold the legislators who blocked this vital piece of legislation accountable for endangering the lives of their constituents.”
Just a year ago, a white supremacist entered a Buffalo grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood and killed ten Black people. Tragically, it was not the first time America has seen the devastation that can be caused by an extremist driven by hate and armed with a gun. In an average year, more than 25,000 hate crimes in the U.S. involve a firearm–69 a day.
In an average year, 555 people die by guns in Nevada. With a rate of 17.5 deaths per 100,000 people, the state has the 16th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. Each year, gun violence costs Nevada $6.7 billion, of which $104.3 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Nevada is available here.
