(Highwood, IL) – Today, State Representative Bob Morgan announced the creation of a national coalition of state legislators focused on gun violence prevention, called Legislators for Safer Communities. Representative Morgan will serve as one of six co-chairs to lead this newly formed coalition of nearly 200 legislators. This coalition will empower state legislatures with national best practices to pass common-sense gun safety legislation in their communities.
“We will no longer allow the epidemic of gun violence to be met with legislative inaction,” said Representative Bob Morgan. “Every day in the United States, communities beg for an end to gun violence. While we continue to urge the federal government to act, state legislatures must take matters into their own hands to pass meaningful firearm reforms and invest in proven mitigation strategies like community violence prevention and interruption.”
Legislators for Safer Communities was officially launched through a virtual Zoom call on September 17th, where Representative Morgan, along with four other co-chairs, shared their personal experiences and commitment to gun violence prevention. Morgan highlighted the Protect Illinois Communities Act—which banned the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and targeted illegal gun trafficking—as a successful example of state-level action. “With this coalition, legislators across the country will be able to tap into national best practices while tailoring legislation to the dynamics of their respective states,” said Representative Morgan.
In partnership with Brady, Community Justice, Everytown, GIFFORDS, and March for Our Lives, Legislators for Safer Communities is an independent, nonpartisan coalition of state legislators from all 50 states, united by the common goal of reducing gun violence. Recognizing gun violence as a public health crisis rooted in systemic inequalities, the coalition focuses on the disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities and is committed to advancing solutions that prioritize equity and justice.
In achieving these goals, the coalition will serve as a central hub for legislative resources, strategic messaging, research, and peer networking, while collaborating across state lines and engaging with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to develop effective gun violence prevention legislation nationwide.
Learn more at: https://legislatorsforsafercommunities.org/