Pittsburgh, PA - Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, commented on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruling today affirming the dismissal of the National Rifle Association’s lawsuit challenging Pittsburgh’s ordinance requiring that gun owners tell police if they discover their firearms have been lost or stolen:“This is the fifth time Pennsylvania courts have rejected the NRA’s challenges to lost and stolen gun reporting requirements.  It is common sense that gun owners should tell police when guns have been stolen and may be used in a crime.  “This is a loss for the NRA and gun traffickers, ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - Marcellus Wiley, who has excelled as a scholar, professional athlete, and on-air personality, was elected to the Boards of the Brady Campaign and Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence on June 11, 2010.   Most recently, Marcellus has built a broad and loyal following as an analyst and sports television host.  Wiley is currently an NFL analyst for ESPN and co-host of Winners Bracket on ABC. Wiley regularly appears on NFL Live, SportsCenter, and ESPNEWS, while also contributing to ESPN’s Super Bowl coverage. He makes frequent visits to ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning and guest ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, issued the following statement on passage of a bill by the U.S. House of Representatives to require disclosure of sources of funding in federal elections:“This bill exempting the NRA, and only a handful of other wealthy groups, from having to follow the same rules as other advocacy groups involved in political campaigns is fundamentally flawed, likely can’t survive judicial scrutiny, and should be rejected by the United States Senate as currently written.  “When Democratic leaders in the House decided to exclude one of the groups that ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. – It’s a fair question, one the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence presumed Americans might want to ask of their members of Congress.  And in terms of questions about politicians, there could be worse anatomical references.The question:  “Congress: Do you have a backbone?”The gun violence prevention group has posted a special “splash page” on its website, in the hopes of starting a conversation about whether this critical skeletal component may be missing from members of the U.S. House of Representatives, in light of last week’s legislative confusion over a bill known as the DISCLOSE Act.  When it ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. - The leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives, in negotiations over a bill to limit big money influence in political campaigns, is considering exempting the biggest such players in a move geared toward securing the support of the National Rifle Association.“This proposal is so outside the spirit of what Congress says it is trying to do that any supporter of real reform should be embarrassed to vote for it,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “People are already cynical about the connections between big money and Congress.  Now the big guys ...read the full release

Washington, DC - States with weak gun laws supply guns to criminals in other states at a rate five times higher than dealers in states with stronger gun laws, according to a Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence analysis of newly released crime gun trace data.  The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently released nationwide crime gun trace data for 2009 crime guns recovered by police and traced back to the dealer that sold the gun.The data shows that Mississippi, for the second year in a row, had the highest rate of crime guns exported to ...read the full release

Washington, DC - Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, issued the following statement about the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s rejection of an appeal by the National Rifle Association:  “We are pleased that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected the NRA's lawsuit which sought to strike down Philadelphia's common sense gun ordinances keeping guns away from domestic abusers and the dangerously mentally ill, and requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen guns to police.  “It is unfortunate that cities have to use scarce resources to defend against NRA lawsuits which would make it easier for dangerous people ...read the full release

Annapolis, MD - The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the Maryland Chapters of the Million Mom March and Jim and Sarah Brady today announced their endorsement of Mike Lenett for re-election to the Maryland State Senate, representing Montgomery County, Maryland’s District 19.   Lenett also earned the organization’s endorsement in 2006. As a freshman State Senator, Mike Lenett became one of the Brady Campaign’s biggest champions by pushing legislation to ban military-style assault rifles and to regulate Maryland gun dealers and helping lead the fight to take guns away from those who commit domestic violence and crack down on gun ...read the full release

Sacramento, California – Today, legislation to ban the open carrying of handguns in public areas passed the California State Assembly by a vote of 46-30.  The legislation, AB 1934, authored by Assembly Member Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego), is supported by the California Brady Campaign Chapters, the California Police Chiefs Association  and Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC).  The legislation now heads to the California State Senate for consideration.“This is a great first step to stop the practice of carrying of openly-displayed handguns in California,” said Dallas Stout, President of the California Chapters of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun ...read the full release

Washington, D.C. – Three incidents in two weeks involving people carrying guns in public places has left three people dead, three injured, and a family terrified.  On May 9, an open carry advocate shot two men, one fatally, on a Milwaukee street.  In Fruitport Township, Michigan, a concealed carry permit holder pointed his gun and threatened a fellow parent at a kids’ soccer game on May 15.  And on May 20, a disgruntled Ohio man and his 16-year-old son opened fired with AK-47 assault rifles during a traffic stop, in West Memphis, Arkansas.  Two police officers died, and the father ...read the full release