HARRISBURG – For the first time in more than thirty years, Pennsylvania has elected a Democratic majority in state government. For years, Pennsylvania has seen gun safety proposals advance in the state House only to stall before receiving meaningful consideration in the Senate. The new makeup of the chamber creates an opportunity to change that.
Adam Garber, CeaseFirePA Action’s CEO, made the following statement:
Over the last 30 years, 45,000 Pennsylvanians have died from gun violence while proven gun safety solutions stalled in committee, on the floor, and in the Pennsylvania Senate. Those are missed graduations, birthdays, and moments of joy with family and friends. We’ve lived through mass shootings and horrific rises in community violence, along with a quiet firearm suicide crisis that impacts rural Pennsylvanians the most.
This election was about quality of life because Pennsylvanians have been struggling the last few years. They’re worried a trip to the grocery could turn into a shooting, a quiet crisis after a layoff could become fatal, or the next call from the school could be about an active shooter.
We don’t have to live this way any longer. The new General Assembly has the opportunity to vault Pennsylvania into the top tier of safe states by advancing policies that make us safe at home and safe in our community. It’s time to get to work.
CeaseFirePA Action and CeaseFirePA PAC spent more than $200,000 combined backing gun safety leaders this election, their biggest investment yet. They are now working with partners on a comprehensive gun safety agenda that will make people Safe At Home, Combat Gun Trafficking, and Invest in a Safer PA. Together, these policies would save hundreds of lives every year.
ABOUT CEASEFIREPA ACTION
CeaseFirePA Action is the Commonwealth’s leading organization dedicated to ensuring not another life is lost to gun violence.CeaseFirePA organizes with communities closest to the issue, holds those in power accountable and maximizes the strengths of every member in its broad coalition — understanding that the strongest work is work done by many.
