Media And Event Advisory: Sister Of Newtown Victim, Survivor Of Tucson Shooting, And Mayor Cownie To Rally In Support Of Sensible Gun Laws, Hold Senator Grassley Accountable For Opposing Background Checks

Grassley Voted Against Background Checks Even Though 88 Percent of Iowans Support Them; Participants Set To Thank Senator Harkin for Supporting Sensible Gun Legislation

Event is Part of "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" Bus Tour; www.NoMoreNames.org

DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, August 7th, the sister of a victim of the Newtown massacre, a survivor of the 2011 Tucson mass shooting, Mayor Frank Cownie, state lawmakers, law enforcement, and local advocates will gather at Union Park in Des Moines as part of the "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" – a 25-state national bus tour over a period of 100 days aimed at urging America's leaders to support common-sense gun policies. Participants will come together Wednesday to voice their support for comprehensive background checks that would keep guns out of the wrong hands, and they will hold Senator Chuck Grassley accountable for voting against this life-saving measure. They will also thank Senator Tom Harkin for supporting bipartisan background checks legislation in April.

It remains far too easy for criminals, domestic abusers, the seriously mentally ill, and other dangerous individuals – people who know they can't pass a background check – to skirt the law and obtain guns by purchasing them online or at gun shows, where background checks are not required under federal law. Bipartisan legislation sponsored by NRA A-rated Senators Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey would have closed this dangerous loophole by extending background checks to commercial gun sales. But Senator Grassley voted to block this sensible legislation, despite the fact that 88 percent of Iowans support background checks for all gun sales.  

While Senator Harkin stood with his constituents and voted to support this tough-on-crime bill, Senator Grassley voted to maintain a loophole that allows dangerous people to easily obtain guns.

Every day, 33 Americans are murdered with guns in this country. "No More Names: National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence" is part of Mayors Against Illegal Guns' ongoing, national effort to continue raising awareness to the issue of gun violence in America – and most importantly, to urge elected officials to prioritize the safety of the people they represent.

What: 
Rally to support common-sense background checks and hold Senator Grassley accountable for voting against bipartisan gun bill that would have helped keep guns out of the wrong hands

Who:      
- Carlee Soto, whose sister Victoria was killed in the Newtown massacre
- Pat Maisch, survivor of the 2011 Tucson mass shooting
- Mayor Frank Cownie of Des Moines
- Major Steve Waymire, Des Moines Police Department
- State Senator Jack Hatch
- State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad
- Rev. Cheryl Thomas, Executive Director of Iowans for Gun Safety

Where:
Union Park
725 Thompson Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa

When:  
Wednesday, August 7^th at 10:00 a.m.

For interview requests in advance and on-site, please contact Stacey Radnor at 202-870-6668.

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 1,000 mayors from across the country. With more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters – including more than 14,000 in Iowa – the coalition is the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country. The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns. Learn more at www.MayorsAgainstIllegalGuns.org.

CONTACTS
Alex Katz: [email protected] or 646-324-8245
Stacey Radnor: [email protected] or 202-870-6668
Lizzie Ulmer: [email protected] or 269-271-2331

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns