SENATOR HOYLMAN HOSTS FILM SCREENING AND PANEL DISCUSSION ON SCOURGE OF GUN VIOLENCE AND COMMONSENSE MEASURES TO ADDRESS IT

Hoylman: This event is an opportunity to come together and learn how we can stand up to mercenary organizations like the NRA that delay and deny while thousands continue to die.”

New York, NY – Last night, State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) hosted a free film screening of Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA and a panel discussion at the SVA Theatre in Chelsea about the national epidemic of gun violence and the concrete steps New Yorkers can take to put an end to the crisis.

Produced by Brave New Films and Robert Greenwald, Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA shines a spotlight on the billion-dollar firearm industry and its devastating impact on the lives of everyday Americans. The film -- introduced by Senator Hoylman and Public Advocate Letitia James -- features stories from people throughout the nation who have been affected by gun violence and exposes how the gun lobby and the NRA conspire to block responsible legislation for the sake of profit. Immediately following the screening, Senator Hoylman moderated a panel consisting of NYS Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, Chair of American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention; Leah Gunn Barrett of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence; John Grauwiler of Gays Against Guns; and Erika Soto Lamb of Everytown for Gun Safety on steps New Yorkers could take to enact change.

Among the issues discussed by the panel were on-going state and national initiatives to expand background checks, divest from gun manufacturers and companies that support the NRA, repeal federal immunity laws that shield guns manufacturers and dealers from civil lawsuits, as well as legislation to overcome the NRA’s 20 year effort to ban funding for gun violence research.

State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “From the murder of 20 innocent children and their caretakers at Sandy Hook to the massacre of 49 individuals at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, our nation is facing a rising tide of gun violence. Yet time and again, efforts to rein in the scourge of gun violence have been met with hostile indifference by lawmakers in Albany, particularly Senate Republicans. This event is an opportunity to come together and learn how we can stand up to mercenary organizations like the NRA that delay and deny while thousands continue to die.” 

Senator Hoylman and Assemblymember Kavanagh are the prime sponsors of S6065/A7038, which would help prevent foreseeable acts of gun violence by authorizing judges to issue temporary warrants and restraining orders, allowing local law enforcement to seize an individual’s firearms when they demonstrate a significant risk of injury to themselves or others. Statistics show that domestic violence assaults involving a firearm are 12 times more likely to result in death while individuals with a history of committing domestic violence are five times as likely to subsequently murder an intimate partner when a firearm is in the house.

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting in 2013, the New York State Legislature passed the NY SAFE Act, which included a number of important provisions such as universal background checks for gun and ammunition sales as well as increased penalties for gun-related crimes. Since then, however, Albany has not considered any gun control related legislation.

“Americans across the country are increasingly realizing that the outrageous levels of gun violence in our country is neither inevitable nor an accident,” said New York State Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, who chairs American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention. “I’m glad New Yorkers are coming out tonight to explore the perspectives presented in this film and to discuss how we can all take action to stop the scourge of routine gun violence.”

Leah Gunn Barrett, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence said: "This film exposes the NRA's real client - gun manufacturers, who value profit over people's lives. It should make every American not only angry but also motivated to break the NRA's stranglehold on our politics. And we can only do that by kicking out of office the craven politicians who slavishly follow the corporate gun lobby and elect people who will take their responsibility seriously to protect the safety of all Americans."

John Grauwiler, Co-Founder of Gays Against Guns said: “Gays Against Guns emerged in response to the tragic massacre of 49 LGBTQ individuals at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Motivated by the pain shared by our community and dedicated to nonviolent, direct action grassroots organization, GAG and its allies are committed to nothing less than the total eradication of gun violence. Only by working together, by drawing and sustaining public attention on the dangerous outsize influence of the gun lobby, puppet politicians, and corporate entities can we stop the life threatening convergence of homophobia and flawed gun policy that prioritizes profits over public safety. We are Gays Against Guns and we need everyone.”  

"For a generation the gun lobby had the field to itself and that resulted in weak laws that make it easy for dangerous people to arm themselves -- and a gun murder rate that is 25 times higher than other developed nations," said Erika Soto Lamb, Chief Communications Officer for Everytown for Gun Safety, which includes Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. "But that is quickly changing because a movement of Americans is coming together to change the politics and culture that will help save lives from gun violence. From our Be SMART public education program that promotes the safe storage of guns to prevent unintentional child shootings, to our Gun Sense Voter campaign that will help elect leaders who will buck the NRA and put public safety first -- to films like 'Making a Killing' that reach large audiences -- we welcome all Americans to join us in making a difference that will save lives."