The Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement after Kansas State Representative Stephanie Clayton (D-Overland Park) introduced HB 2733, a bill to require domestic abusers to relinquish their firearms, was introduced in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee:
“In 2018, Kansas legislators agreed nearly unanimously that domestic abusers should not have access to firearms, but current law doesn’t require abusers to turn in the guns they may already have,” said Amanda Winch, volunteer with the Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Today’s legislation would close this loophole in Kansas law and help ensure that no prohibited domestic abusers have easy access to firearms. This is an important step toward better protecting women and families in Kansas.”
In 2018, a bill to prohibit domestic abusers from possessing guns was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law by then-Governor Jeff Colyer. However, Kansas law doesn’t require prohibited domestic abusers to turn in the guns they may already have. Adding a process for abusers to relinquish firearms they already possess would give law enforcement officers the tools they need to ensure domestic abusers in Kansas don’t have easy access to guns.
Every month, an average of 53 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner. Nearly 1 million women alive today have reported being shot or shot at by intimate partners, and 4.5 million women have reported being threatened with a gun. At least 31 women were fatally shot by an intimate partner in Kansas between 2013 and 2017. Nearly three out of every five intimate partner homicides in Kansas involved a firearm. Additionally, women of color are victims of homicide at higher rates than white women, and over 55 percent of these killings are committed by an intimate partner — including LaToyna Boyd’s daughter Tyesha, who was shot and killed by an abusive partner.
Statistics about gun violence in Kansas are available here, and information on how Kansas’ gun laws compare to other states’ overall is available here.