For Immediate Release
Nov. 7, 2024
G-PAC ILLINOIS & GIFFORDS PAC RECOMMIT TO ILLINOIS’S NATIONAL ROLE IN CHAMPIONING GUN SAFETY MEASURES IN THE ABSENCE OF NEW WHITE HOUSE LEADERSHIP
CHICAGO – The Gun Violence Prevention PAC of Illinois (G-PAC), the state’s leading gun violence advocacy organization, and GIFFORDS PAC, the nation’s leading gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, applaud the victories of gun safety champions to the Illinois General Assembly in Tuesday’s General Election and recommit to ensuring Illinois remains a leader in the national and state fight for gun safety initiatives. The Illinois General Assembly wins are critical to continuing the fight against gun violence, especially in the face of a President-elect who has shown only a commitment to protecting the gun lobby.
G-PAC and GIFFORDS PAC lauded the victories of the legislative candidates who were jointly endorsed by the two organizations and will continue to expand support for gun safety reforms among members of the Illinois General Assembly, including Illinois Sen. Robert Martwick and Reps. Maura Hirschauer, Nabeela Syed, Nicolle Grasse, Anne Stava-Murray and Katie Stuart. Two races of challengers have not yet been called.
“While we absorb the news of Tuesday’s election, we know that Illinois’s national role in championing gun safety is more important than ever,” said Kathleen Sances, G-PAC Illinois President and CEO. “We celebrate wins in Illinois that show us the voters in our state believe in common sense gun safety laws to protect their families and communities and we roll up our sleeves and get back to work. Our efforts over the last 11 years to pass significant gun reforms in Illinois is critical knowing there will be a lack of leadership on gun safety initiatives from a new White House administration. We will continue to enact real change and address the public health crisis of gun violence, working alongside a gun safety majority in the Illinois General Assembly that continues to grow.”
“While I’m disappointed by the result of the election at the top of the ticket, I’m inspired by voters across Illinois who have spoken resoundingly, choosing leaders in other key contests who understand that strong gun laws save lives,” said Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. “These champions — old and new — have already helped make their state a model for commonsense gun safety legislation, and their continued leadership in Springfield will be crucial in building on the progress made in recent years, especially as our fight becomes even more important. While there is a long road ahead and so much still to do, our endorsed candidates’ wins reflect the determination and will of everyday Illinoisans. They made it clear they want representatives who will work tirelessly to address our nation’s gun violence crisis with courage and conviction no matter what. We look forward to continuing to work with all of our legislators, as well as our partners at G-PAC, to continue building safer communities for the children and families of the Land of Lincoln.”
Since G-PAC was founded, the organization has worked to enact five significant gun reforms in the Illinois General Assembly to hold corrupt gun dealers accountable, enact universal background checks on all gun sales, make untraceable homemade ghost guns illegal, ban military style weapons and high capacity magazines, and hold gun manufacturers accountable for the devastation their products inflict on our communities.
G-PAC’s currently working to push for Safe At Home legislation to strengthen state laws around safe weapons storage and reporting of lost and stolen weapons to collectively better prevent minors, at-risk individuals, and criminals from accessing deadly weapons, committing crime and inflicting tragedy.
Founded in 2013 by gun violence survivors, G-PAC is committed to ending the gun violence epidemic by supporting the passage of a responsible, common sense gun safety agenda focused on illegal guns and gun trafficking. Learn more about G-PAC: https://gpacillinois.com/.
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