FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety today applauded the introduction of SB 177, legislation that would disarm domestic abusers. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Senator Julie Raque Adams (SD-36).
“Today Kentucky is taking a major step toward protecting women and families,” said Connie Coartney, volunteer leader with the Kentucky chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “No one should ever have to live in fear of being shot and killed by their abuser. This legislation will save lives, and we urge the General Assembly to pass it quickly.”
Since 2013, 29 states from every region of the country have taken action to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. Most states have laws that prohibit all domestic abusers who have been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes and who are subject to final protective orders from having guns, but Kentucky does not. The bill would align Kentucky law with federal law, which already prohibits these domestic abusers from purchasing or possessing firearms, giving local law enforcement the tools to bring abusers to justice if they illegally own firearms. SB 177 would not only prohibit all these convicted abusers and abusers who are subject to final domestic violence protective orders from purchasing and possessing guns, it would also require all these abusers to turn in any guns they already own when they become prohibited from having them, so they can’t use them to further harm their victims, law enforcement officers, or anyone else.
Domestic gun violence is a serious problem in Kentucky. Between 2013 to 2017, at least 151 people were killed by intimate partners in Kentucky, and 103 of those — nearly 70 percent — were shot and killed. Out of those who were shot and killed, 80 were Kentucky women.