Following Tireless Advocacy from Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Volunteers, Legislature Adjourns Without Passing Top Gun Lobby Priority
The Louisiana chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement after the Louisiana legislature adjourned sine die, marking the official end of the 2023 legislative session. Despite fervent attempts to advance a suite of dangerous gun bills, lawmakers closed the session without advancing a single gun lobby priority. Over the past few months, gun safety advocates worked tirelessly to block bills such as HB131, permitless carry would have allowed anyone over the age of 18 to carry a loaded firearm in public with no background check or training.
“Today is a major win for gun safety in Louisiana,” said Angelle Bradford, a volunteer with the Louisiana chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We’re thrilled to be celebrating a session where lawmakers rejected all efforts to weaken our gun laws, but this is not when we stop, it’s when we get louder. Far more needs to be done to make our state safe from gun violence. We will take this momentum right back into the fight as we continue to urge lawmakers to prioritize proactive public safety efforts to prevent gun violence and save lives.”
To address the state’s ongoing gun violence crisis, state lawmakers, alongside other state and local leaders, must prioritize public safety and advance a common sense gun safety agenda that would reduce gun deaths and save lives — starting with prioritizing passing critical gun violence prevention measures like Extreme Risk Laws and securing funding for life-saving community violence intervention programs. These programs are community-centered and evidence-informed organizations that have successfully reduced violence by implementing public safety measures that are locally driven and informed by data.
Louisiana has the 2nd-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. In an average year, 1,125 people die and 2,936 are wounded by guns in Louisiana. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Louisiana. In Louisiana, an average of 138 children and teens die by guns every year, of which 18% of these deaths are suicides and 76% are homicides. More information about gun violence in Louisiana is available here.
If you are interested in speaking with a Louisiana Moms Demand Action or Students Demand volunteer, or a policy expert please reach out to [email protected].