Today, The Messenger reported that the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association will host the “first-of-its-kind” gun violence prevention policy summit on October 24. As the Messenger noted, “with Congress gridlocked and without a House Speaker, statewide elected Democrats are convening in Washington on Tuesday to find solutions to solve the gun violence epidemic in America.”
Featuring leading gun violence prevention groups, including Everytown for Gun Safety, March For Our Lives, and GIFFORDS, “the policy summit is the first of its kind and will bring together key stakeholders and state leaders to discuss best practices on how to pass gun safety legislation and create safer communities.”
Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and DLGA Gun Violence Prevention Coalition Chair Austin Davis highlighted the DLGA’s commitment “to take on the epidemic of gun violence” in each state.
Read the article below:
The Messenger: Democratic Lieutenant Governors Set to Convene for First-Of-Its-Kind Gun Violence Prevention Summit (Exclusive)
October 23, 2023
By Matt Holt
With Congress gridlocked and without a House Speaker, statewide elected Democrats are convening in Washington on Tuesday to find solutions to solve the gun violence epidemic in America.
The Democratic Lieutenant Governors’ Association will hold a Gun Violence Prevention Summit in Washington, alongside leading gun violence prevention groups like Everytown for Gun Safety, March For Our Lives, GIFFORDS, and the American Federation of Teachers. The DLGA is solely dedicated to elected Democratic Lieutenant Governors around the country.
The policy summit is the first of its kind and will bring together key stakeholders and state leaders to discuss best practices on how to pass gun safety legislation and create safer communities.
“We’re going to take on the epidemic of gun violence,” said Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis in an interview with The Messenger. Davis, who serves as the chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Coalition within the DLGA, noted that other organizations like the Democratic Governors Association, the Republican Governors Association, and the Republican Lieutenant Governor’s Association don’t typically convene policy summits on key issues.
“I think what’s clear, which most of us knew before the last 15 days, but what became even clearer is that Congress is in chaos and is unable to do their most basic functions, let alone deliver results for their constituents,” he continued. “Governors and lieutenant governors are forced to act because we know the federal government isn’t isn’t going to provide the resources that our constituents deserve.
The gun violence epidemic is personal for Davis, who was born and raised in Allegheny County. When he was 15 years old, gun violence in his neighborhood led him to go to a city council meeting and start a youth anti-violence organization. He was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2018 and won the 2022 Lt. Gov. primary, joining now-Gov. Josh Shapiro on a ticket that won in a landslide.
“This has been the cause of my life,” he told The Messenger. “And I’m just so happy to be bringing lieutenant governors from around the country together to share the work that we’ve been doing in Pennsylvania and to hopefully encourage them to continue to do the work that they’re doing in their respective states.”
