Since the Alliance formed in 2013, we’ve helped pass 22 gun safety bills in the Washington State Legislature and three ballot initiatives! We’ve helped elect a true gun responsibility majority in Olympia and have made great strides in our implementation, research, education and community engagement work. Read on for some of our highlights.
Alliance helps secure congressionally-directed spending for partner organizations.
Working with Washington partners CHOOSE 180 and Peacemaking Institute, the Alliance successfully advocated for $245k and $300k in federal funding for each organization respectively to support efforts to reduce gun violence by diverting offenses from the traditional court process, which focuses on punishment and labeling conduct, to a restorative justice approach that utilizes wrap-around community support.
Washington State Legislature passes six gun responsibility bills!
In the second virtual legislative session, amid the continued challenges posed by the pandemic, Washington lawmakers significantly funded gun violence prevention programs and passed six community safety bills, including ESSB 5078 to restrict high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds! The passage of high-capacity magazine restrictions is a victory six years in the making.
The Victory Fund helps elect 45 gun responsibility champions!
The Alliance endorsed 69 candidates across Washington state running for a variety of local races, from mayor to port commissioner to school board.
Washington State Legislature passes 10 community safety bills!
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and a virtual session, the legislature passes 10 significant public safety bills. Highlights include SB 5038, which rejects armed intimidation by prohibiting open carry at the state capitol and public demonstrations and HB 1320, which improves efficiency and accessibility in the civil protection order system. The legislature also takes long-overdue action on police accountability, passing seven bills to strengthen oversight and rebuild community trust.
The Foundation hosts second virtual summit, this time on white supremacy and firearms.
From high-profile police shootings to the insurrection, 2020 brought constant, painful reminders that gun violence and white supremacy are inextricably linked. This summit, White Supremacy and Guns: Exploring the History, is designed to start a conversation about how white supremacy, both past and present, contributes to the current gun violence epidemic.
The Foundation hosts (first virtual!) summit on firearm surrender and protection orders.
This is our fourth summit on protection orders and firearms, but the first held virtually and first with a national audience. Designed specifically for practitioners, the program goes in-depth on firearm surrender orders, domestic violence protection orders, and Extreme Risk Protection Orders. It also features a panel on centering equity in the protection order outreach and implementation process.
The Victory Fund helps elect 85 gun responsibility candidates.
The Victory Fund issues more endorsements than ever at the state and federal level, including our first presidential endorsement!
The WA State Legislature allocates $1 million in state funding for gun violence prevention research.
Harborview Injury and Prevention Research Center (HIPRC) will study risk factors for gun-related injuries and deaths, analyze the impact of gun laws, and develop strategies to reduce the devastating toll of gun violence in the state.
The Foundation produces three key educational resources.
Along with our national partners, we produce an Extreme Risk Protection Order toolkit, GunProtectionOrder.org and DisarmDV.org.
Education to Action launches.
This free workshop and toolkit is designed for impacted communities to advocate for change.
Chapter Teams launch.
The Chapter Team program empowers volunteers and advocates across Washington State to take action on gun violence prevention in their communities.
