Gun violence prevention

The issue of gun violence is personal to me. I met my husband working to pass the Manchin-Toomey bill in the U.S. Senate that would have expanded mandatory background checks on most commercial gun sales. My husband was Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ legislative director when she was shot at a public event in 2011. I am the mother of a girl who will be going to kindergarten in just a year, and another a few years after that — I don’t want them or any of our kids living in a world where gun safety drills are a constant part of their educational experience.

Gun violence is an issue that has tragically hurt so many families in our community here in Assembly District 15. It’s a multifaceted problem  that is connected to so many others — including income inequality, education equity, widespread hunger, a lack of corporate accountability, and so much more. 

I arrived in Sacramento ready to take meaningful action to combat gun violence. In my first term I secured $30 million in additional funding for the California Violence Intervention Program (CalVIP), for a total of $39 million — the largest investment in the history of the state. I also passed AB 1603, which allowed CalVIP to prioritize its resources, and grant key funding to the most impacted communities. This means that communities hit hardest by gun violence, some of which are in Assembly District 15, will get the help they need sooner, directly saving lives.