This story originally published online at NC Newsline.
North Carolina State Rep. Julie von Haefen of Wake County was at the White House on Wednesday along with nearly 100 Democratic state legislators from around the country as part of an effort to reduce gun violence.
The meeting was organized as part of the Safer States Initiative, in which the Biden administration is working to provide states with more tools and federal support to protect their communities, such as investing in evidence-informed solutions to prevent and respond to gun violence and strengthening gun background checks.
In a news release, Rep. von Haefen said she was invited because of her recent efforts to advance state legislation that would combat gun violence:
“Representative von Haefen was invited because she prioritized addressing North Carolina’s gun violence crisis during the 2023 legislative long session. She filed HB 283, Purchase Permit Required for Long Guns, which would have closed a significant loophole in North Carolina’s background check requirements. She is also a sponsor of HB 53, Firearm in Unattended Vehicle/Safely Store, which would have prohibited leaving unsecured firearms in motor vehicles as part of a data-driven legislative policy to reduce gun violence.
Rep. von Haefen joined fellow Democratic legislators in sponsoring a broad slate of reasonable gun safety reforms, including HB 281, Allow ERPOs to Prevent Suicides & Save Lives, HB 289, the Gun Violence Prevention Act, and HB 705, the Build Safer Communities and Schools Act. House majority leadership did not consider any of these bills in committee or floor debate.”
The White House initiatives come as the United States continues to suffer from an epidemic of mass shootings. Firearm-related injuries are now the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
There have been several high-profile mass shootings this year, including a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee where three children and three teachers were killed and another in Lewiston, Maine where 18 people were killed and another 13 were injured.
This year, nearly 41,000 people have died due to gun violence and there have been 636 mass shootings, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. Last year, there were 647 mass shootings and in 2021 there were 690 mass shootings.
Additionally, the Department of Justice is releasing two pieces of model gun safety legislation — storing firearms safely and reporting stolen or lost firearms. A senior Justice Department official said the legislation on reporting missing or stolen firearms is modeled on state laws in Hawaii, Virginia and Maryland.
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention was established in September as part of the gun safety bipartisan legislation Congress passed last year.
Stefanie Feldman, who leads the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, said announcements at Wednesday’s meeting outlined actions that states could take, such as establishing a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention, investing in evidence-based solutions to prevent gun violence, such as community violence interventions, and strengthening support for victims and survivors of gun violence.
The other actions include promoting responsible firearm ownership, such as the safe storage of firearms and reporting of lost and stolen firearms.
“We know that safe storage saves lives,” Feldman said. “The majority of K-12 shooters are obtaining firearms from the home or the home of a friend.”
Other actions that states could take, Feldman said, included strengthening background checks, as well as holding the gun industry accountable by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Feldman said the White House will not only work to address mass shootings but “daily acts of gun violence,” such as domestic violence and suicide by gun violence.
To date, North Carolian Republican legislators have blocked consideration of von Haefen’s proposals and others like them.
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