Powell attends White House meeting on states’ efforts to reduce gun violence

Allegheny County Delegation    December 14, 2023 | 11:43 AM

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 14 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, joined dozens of state lawmakers from across the country at the White House for a state legislative meeting on gun violence prevention.

The meeting, hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris, included six key actions to help reduce gun violence at the state level:

  • Establishing statewide offices dedicated to gun violence prevention.
  • Investing in evidence-based solutions.
  • Strengthening support for survivors.
  • Implementing responsible gun ownership practices.
  • Enhancing background checks.
  • Establishing industry accountability and standards.

“All Pennsylvanians deserve to feel safe in their communities, whether it be at home, school, work, a place of worship or at public gatherings,” Powell said. “I believe that it is the responsibility of the state legislature to protect the rights of our neighbors – the right to live without the fear and trauma of gun violence – and I am committed to commonsense policies to achieve that vision.”

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed two bills this year that are part of The Common Agenda to End Gun Violence package. They would create extreme risk protection orders and enact universal background checks. A bill to require the reporting of lost and stolen firearms failed to pass the House, while an additional bill to require guns to be safely stored in homes has not come up for a vote.

Community violence, firearm suicide and mass shootings take the lives of over 4,600 Pennsylvanians every year.