Roundtable To Address Tacoma Gun Violence
On Friday, April 21, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) will join members of Tacoma Cease Fire, a grassroots initiative to protect Tacoma’s youth, community and streets, for a roundtable discussion on how to reduce and prevent gun violence in Tacoma and the surrounding community.
Later, Rep. Kilmer will join PUSH for DREAMS founder John Gaines and local youth at one of the organization’s regular meetings. Rep. Kilmer will discuss his role in helping to reduce gun violence and hear from local youth about their experience facing gun violence in their community.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Kilmer has championed federal funding for gun violence reduction, including $25 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health for firearm injury and mortality prevention research, the first funding in more than two decades to address the public health emergency of firearm violence for the fiscal year 2020.
In June 2022, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation Rep. Kilmer supported, to empower law enforcement and prosecutors to hold gun traffickers accountable and clarify who requires a federal license to buy and sell firearms, implementing an enhanced background check review process that includes reviewing juvenile mental health records for individuals 16 years or older seeking to purchase firearms.
The law also narrowed the "boyfriend loophole” by preventing someone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence as part of a dating relationship from purchasing or possessing a firearm for at least five years.
Additionally, the law provides states like Washington with funding for extreme risk protection order programs, drug courts, and other crisis intervention programs, including:
· More than $1.36 million for Washington state to address mental health emergency preparedness and crisis response efforts
· Nearly $3.6 million for the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to help develop and support school-based mental health programs and services
· More than $5 million for the Washington State Department of Commerce to implement the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program
· More than $630,000 for Tacoma Public Schools to help increase the number of qualified, well-trained mental health professionals working in Tacoma Public Schools
The roundtable discussion with Tacoma Cease Fire will be held at Tacoma Urban League, 2550 S. Yakima Ave, from1:30-2:30 p.m., and the meeting with PUSH for DREAMS and local youth will be held at People’s Center, 1602 M.L.K. Jr Way, 3-4 p.m.
Source: Tacoma Weekly