The Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 1664, a bill that would allow people to sue government entities that choose to prohibit guns in public places and discourage those entities from making decisions intended to promote public safety:
“Allowing loaded guns in public places doesn’t make our communities any safer,” said Geneva Haber, a volunteer with the Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “We’re tired of seeing lawmakers continue to prioritize bills that put Arizonans at risk while common-sense legislation sits on the shelf gathering dust. We urge Chairman Farnsworth to stand with the overwhelming majority of Arizonans who support gun safety and stop blocking a vote on legislation to disarm domestic abusers.”
Senate Bill 1165, which Chairman Farnsworth has not brought up for a vote, would help keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. Senate Bill 1165 would align Arizona law with federal law in prohibiting domestic abusers who are subject to a final domestic violence protection order or convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from purchasing or possessing firearms, giving local law enforcement the tools to bring abusers to justice if they illegally own firearms.
Arizona state gun laws are among the weakest in the country. New polling shows that Arizonans overwhelmingly support stronger gun laws by an 8:1 margin. Still, Arizona lawmakers continue to prioritize reckless bills that jeopardize public safety, while broadly supported and bipartisan common-sense gun safety proposals go ignored. Earlier this month, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund unveiled a $250,000 digital campaign to put Arizona state lawmakers “on notice” and pressure them to pass legislation that would close the gaps that give domestic abusers easier access to guns.
Statistics about gun violence in Arizona are available here, and information on how Arizona’s gun laws compared to other states overall is available here.