Washington, D.C. - The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced plans to hold a hearing next Tuesday on a bill that would severely undermine the powers of a key Federal law enforcement agency to police the nation’s most reckless gun dealers.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “Reform and Firearms Modernization Act,” would severely undermine federal gun law enforcement and protect corrupt gun dealers. The legislation would make it virtually impossible for ATF to revoke the licenses of gun dealers who violate federal law.“This bill is only ‘reform’ from the perspective of corrupt gun dealers who want to be ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. – A U.S. Magistrate Judge has issued an opinion recommending the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by the Second Amendment Foundation and other gun groups in support of Montana’s “Firearms Freedom Act,” one of a number of controversial state laws passed in the last year that hold that Federal gun laws don’t apply to guns made inside state borders.   The judge agreed with a brief filed by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, joined by a coalition of Montana and national gun violence prevention, law enforcement, and domestic violence groups, on May 18, 2010, arguing that the ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence President Paul Helmke today announced that Brady Campaign Board Member Robert Bates, a former legislative assistant to the late Senator Ted Kennedy, will speak on the organization’s behalf at the August 28 Reclaim the Dream Rally, organized by Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network. “We are proud to have our staff, supporters, and board members participating in the Reclaim the Dream rally and march on Saturday,” said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign. “ We want to add our voices to those who seek to remember Dr. King’s ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence today announced the organization’s participation in the August 28 Reclaim the Dream Rally, organized by Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network. “I am excited that the Brady Campaign will join Rev. Sharpton, Martin King III, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, National Urban League President Marc Morial, clergy, and others from around the country to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said Brady President Paul Helmke. “As a young man in the 1960’s, I heard Dr. King speak of his hopes for an America that was ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - Leaders of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence today announced the organization’s endorsement of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) for election to the United States Senate. “In less than two years on the job, Senator Gillibrand has already become a leader in the United States Senate, voting against the gun lobby’s extremist agenda and introducing strong, sensible legislation to make it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign.  “We want the people of New York to know that we enthusiastically support Senator Gillibrand’s campaign for the U.S. Senate.”Michael ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - Eleven years ago today, at 11 o’clock in the morning in sunny Granada Hills, California, a man who professed to wanting to kill Jews brandished an Uzi assault rifle at the North Valley Jewish Community Center and shot a five-year-old boy, two six-year-old boys, a 16-year-old camp counselor and a 68-year-old receptionist.  He then fled and later killed a postal worker before surrendering. Buford O. Furrow fired 70 shots at the JCC. He was a leader in the Aryan Nation movement and had been in and out of jail and psychiatric hospitals for a long time before ...read the full release

Washington, DC  - Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, released the following statement on the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court:“Elena Kagan is seen by many political figures on both sides of the aisle as a person of keen intellect and unvarnished integrity, who respects the law and precedent.  By confirming her today, the U.S. Senate rejected the extremism of the National Rifle Association, which strongly opposed her. The NRA bosses not only argued against her confirmation, but also advertised against it, and indicated they would ‘score’ Senators ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - The year and a half delay by President Barack Obama in naming a director to oversee the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives has seriously weakened efforts to enforce Federal firearms laws, thus jeopardizing public safety and national security. The President has left ATF leaderless even while armed extremists have attacked military posts, museums, political targets and even the Pentagon. Approximately 45,000 Americans have been killed by guns and 150,000 have been shot and injured since President Obama took office.  The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence today issued a report on the consequences of this ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - The national Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, represented by its President, Paul Helmke, today joined with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn in Chicago’s Ogden Park to endorse Governor Quinn for election to a full term as Illinois Governor and to urge Illinois voters who want to fight gun violence to support Quinn.  “In less than two years on the job, Governor Quinn has already taken strong stances on preventing gun violence in Illinois and he supports legislation to make it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign.  “We ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - This morning, police said, a disgruntled worker at a Connecticut beer and wine distributor shot and killed eight people before killing himself, while a masked gunman with an assault rifle killed two and injured six at a party in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and former Indiana political leader, issued the following statement from Chicago:“We make it too easy for dangerous people to arm themselves - people like the angry, severely troubled man who murdered co-workers in Hartford.  And we allow public access to military-style semiautomatic assault weapons, like ...read the full release