With the continued flood of shootings in the news (including the latest school shooting in Oregon) and the lack of a national solution for gun violence, it’s hard to believe that we are making progress. But we do have some good news to report!
So far this year we helped block a campus carry bill in Georgia, and just over a month ago, we helped defeat another bill in Alaska! The danger has passed in places like Arizona, Indiana, Wyoming and Oklahoma, because their legislatures have recessed for the year. Unfortunately, we had a major loss in Idaho this spring — but it was not because of our efforts. We assisted groups on the ground and helped organize faculty, students, staff and even the Idaho’s Chiefs of Police Association to fight as a coalition – one unified voice against campus carry. We lost because we simply could not keep up with the spending power of the gun lobby.
Now we’re going on the offensive. In Texas, we are beginning to lay the ground work in anticipation for a 4th round of “guns on campus” in the 184th legislature starting in Jan. 2015. Based on past experiences in places like Georgia and Arizona, we know that early organizing makes a difference.
Because we are a small organization, we are presented with certain challenges when it comes to building coalitions on the ground in these important states. This is where we need your help.
We couldn’t have made it this far without you. Thousands of people rose up in Idaho, Alaska and Georgia to speak out against guns on campus bills, and we’ll keep fighting to stop the next ones. Your support will help us continue to protect our students, faculty, and staff from dangerous legislation that will compromise the public safety of our campus communities.
Will you chip in $5 today to continue our fight? We don’t have the gun lobby or the gun manufacturers to back us, we have people, like you, who want a gun violence free society and we are depending on you.
