– Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today after President Joe Biden addressed the nation and called for Congress to act urgently to reduce gun violence in America:
“America has a gun problem. Our country’s addiction to guns and gun culture is killing our kids, our teachers, our family and our friends. I want to thank President Biden for his steadfast commitment to getting more guns off our streets and I join him in urging Congress to act.
“Common sense gun laws work. In California, we prove that every single day. Our gun safety laws – banning assault weapons, universal background checks, red flag laws, age restrictions and waiting periods – have cut our state’s gun death rate in half since the 1980s. California has spent decades testing and perfecting these policies. Now it’s time for Congress to put the lives of our people first and pass California-tested, California-proven gun safety laws.”
Earlier today, the Governor’s Office released a fact sheet on California’s nation-leading gun safety record, including an outline of relevant laws and statistics. The fact sheet is available here.