Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Last week, the Legislature held a hearing on gun legislation — and I pressed my colleagues to pass the reforms we know are needed to curb the vast majority of gun violence in our state.
I shared the numbers with my colleagues. In the decade from 2005-2015, over 1,000 people were murdered with guns in the Commonwealth — and 528, over half, were young people. That’s 48 kids dead every year. One young person shot to death nearly every week. In Massachusetts.
I also shared with them the stories that I’ve heard from so many of you. Of mothers at their children’s funerals, of the fear in our kids’ eyes, of bright futures snuffed out.
Over the past two years we’ve succeeded in getting funding in the budget for YouthWorks, which provides youth jobs year-round, and the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative received its highest funding in five years. In previous sessions, the Legislature has also passed legislation to curb the sale of weapons most often used in mass shootings, and prevent individuals who might hurt themselves or others from acquiring firearms.
This session, we have the opportunity to win further much-needed reforms — like the bill I filed to fight the illegal gun market. I will continue to stand alongside you this session to prevent youth violence and end gun violence in our communities.
Saludos,
Sonia-Chang Dias
