April 2024 Newsletter – Fights Continue Across The States

From the Executive Director

Welcome to our April Newsletter,

We are now inching closer to the point where a number of state legislatures have either finished their work for the year or will conclude soon.  Along those lines we are happy to report a big victory in Wyoming, where coalition efforts we joined resulted in Governor Gordon vetoing a guns everywhere bill (including campuses)!  You can read more about this below. In addition, the Florida Legislature adjourned a few weeks ago without moving the guns on campus bill, which would have allowed for open carry on campus.

The Campaign is still assisting other advocates on the ground in several states that include Arizona (bill passed the Senate and is pending in the House), Kentucky, and New Hampshire.  On the pro-active side, an amended Colorado bill to prohibit guns in sensitive places (including schools) passed the Senate and has moved to the House Judiciary. A bill to repeal guns on campus in Wisconsin is stalled for now as the legislature has adjourned, but  we will keep working to garner support from higher education leaders.  And, in New Hampshire, a bill to enforce the federal gun free school zone act in K-12 schools is up for a Senate vote.  Please visit the State Action Center below to learn more and raise your voice.

A dangerous and disturbing trend continues in our K-12 schools as legislation passed in Iowa and Tennessee that would arm teachers.  We continue to believe that school personnel are not the proper individuals to be tasked with protecting our kids.

On the federal side, Congress continues to do next to nothing on federal gun reform.   However, we must keep the pressure on by urging Congress to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines and to pass a national safe firearm storage law.  Assault weapons are the weapon of choice for mass shootings and the majority of guns used in school shootings are taken from the home.

In April, we honor the victims and survivors of three college/school shootings:  Oikos University (April 2nd), Virginia Tech (April 16th), and Columbine High School (April 20th).  Look for our social media posts later this month.

Finally, as I nearly always mention, our work is largely dependent on support from individuals like you.  

Please click here to make a tax-deductible gift to The Campaign today.

Thanks for all you do,

Andy Pelosi, Executive Director/Co-Founder
The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus

Updates From The States

Wyoming – Victory!  Governor Vetoes Guns on Campus and Legislature Votes Not to Reconvene in 2024.

Kentucky

Legislation would allow more people (with a license) to carry concealed handguns in areas that include educational spaces (including K-12), nearly anywhere on a Kentucky college campus, some areas of local government buildings, and even certain areas of airports that are currently controlled by the Federal TSA.  The Legislature is due to adjourn on April 15th.

Tell the Kentucky Legislature to oppose guns on campus today.

Federal Update

Congress must take action to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines.

We will lose less children and have less guns being brought to our schools when Ethan’s Law is passed, requiring the safe storage of firearms wherever kids are present. This bill will turn the best practices of responsible firearm ownership into the law of the land. 

Tell your Members of Congress that this is the time for action. Pass these bills today.

The Campaign Makes Headlines

It has been a busy time for The Campaign and for the guns on campus issues in general. The press has taken notice, reaching out to us for comments and reporting on our actions in state and national gun debates.

Nathan Greenfield with University World News – a global publication that reports on the state of higher education world wide – reached out to Executive Director Andy Pelosi for his comments on a recent Lumina Foundation report on how conservative policies in general are affecting enrollment trends in US colleges and universities.

The wild fight against guns everywhere in Wyoming led to a great WyoFile article by Mike Koshmrl detailing the play-by-play of a bill’s birth, death, rebirth and death again as the Legislature went against its own precedents to try to force passage even though the bill had ‘died’ in the Judiciary Committee.

The WyoFile article notes The Campaign To Keep Guns Off Campus’s testimony and its submission of a list of 35 reported guns on campus incidents to refute gun lobby claims that there were ‘zero’ reported incidents in the 11 states that allow unrestricted campus carry.

Womens History Month

In March, The Campaign spotlighted three women who have turned devastating losses into action against gun violence. We salute them and all the women who keep our movement strong.