Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Guns For Domestic Abusers
The Supreme Court affirmed federal efforts to bar those convicted of crimes involving domestic violence from owning guns. Justice Ginsburg, citing the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said Congress might have been inartful in drafting the 1996 law, but its intentions and underlying concerns were clear: “Firearms and domestic strife are a potentially deadly combination nationwide.”
- Read the press release from the Brady Campaign
- CNN: No Guns For People Guilty of Domestic Violence
- Supreme Court ruling United States v Hayes
Arkansas Senate Panel Shoots Down Guns-in-Church Proposal
Last week we highlighted the effort in Arkansas to allow concealed weapons in churches and the inconsistencies in the policies being considered by the Legislature. We are pleased to report that the proposal to allow concealed weapons in church has failed in the Arkansas Senate committee.
Community & Advocacy Spotlight:
- Attorney General Holder Revives Talk of An Assault Weapons Ban during a recent press conference announcing the capture of more than 50 alleged members of a notorious Mexican drug cartel.
Brady Campaign Applauds Holder for Comments on Assault Weapons. - New Jersey Senate Fails to Pass One Handgun A Month Bill. Bryan Miller, Executive Director of Ceasefire NJ, the Garden State’s leading organization devoted to reducing gun violence, said: “The Senate bobbled a critical opportunity to make the illegal trafficking of handguns in our state less likely.”
- U.S. Senate Approves D.C. Voting Rights Bill With Gun Amendment Attached. The amendment would repeal most of the District’s local gun-control regulations, limiting the District’s authority to restrict firearms and remove gun-registration requirements. See how your Senator voted on the Amendment.
- Mother of Slain Teen Channels Pain Into Activism. Two years after 16-year-old Blair Holt was gunned down protecting a friend, his mother Annette has put herself on the front lines of the gun violence prevention movement.
- Anti-Violence Advocate Receives Wings of Justice Honor. Weusi Olusola, president of Pioneers for Peace, works to show students the “potential consequences of guns, drugs and violence.”
- VPC Study: Youth Gang Violence and Guns: Data Collection in California. The new study shows the need for improved data on youth gang violence and guns in California.
News:
- Swiss Soldiers Face Loss of Right to Store Guns at Home. Switzerland’s part-time soldiers could lose their famous right to store their weapons at home. A citizen coalition has collected nearly 120,000 signatures to force a national referendum on the issue.
- Arizona Universities Warn Students to Stay Away From Mexico Over Spring Break. The increasing violence of the Mexican drug wars, fueled by guns smuggled from the United States, prompted warning from Universities and a travel alert from the U.S. Department of State.
- The Drug Cartels’ Right to Bear Arms. The Justice Department pronounced the Mexican drug cartels “a national security threat” this week, even as American gun dealers along the border were busily arming the cartels’ murderous gangs.
- Violence Between Repo Men, Car Owners on the Rise. The number of vehicle repossessions is expected to rise 5 percent this year, creating more opportunities for bad outcomes in an industry where armed confrontations and threats happen every day.
- Gun Lobby Working Overtime to Normalize Abnormal Behavior. Gun lobby won’t be satisfied until every nook and cranny is satruated with Berettas, Colts, and Smith & Wessons.
- Gun Control: Why Is This Difficult? Philadelphia Police Commissioner notes, it’s easy access to weapons that lets “young men use violence and gunfire to settle scores.”
