Everytown for Gun Safety

Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) was formed in April 2006 during a summit co-hosted by mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York City and Thomas Menino of Boston at New York's mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion.{{cite news |last1=Bloomberg |first1=Michael R. |last2=Menino |first2=Thomas M. |date=June 30, 2008 |title=Some Gun Rules We Can All Agree On |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB121478283640414407 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |location=New York |type=Opinion |access-date=September 11, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220033612/https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB121478283640414407 |archive-date=February 20, 2018 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Roig-Franzia |first=Manuel |date=August 5, 2009 |title=A Battle of Goliaths: Michael Bloomberg and His Gun Control Group Take on the NRA |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/04/AR2009080403132_pf.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=December 3, 2013 }} Bloomberg and Menino co-chaired the coalition.{{cite press release |author= |date=September 19, 2013 |title=Hundreds of Americans Rally In Washington, D.C. To Launch Next Phase In National Fight To Fix Gun Background Check System |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hundreds-of-americans-rally-in-washington-dc-to-launch-next-phase-in-national-fight-to-fix-gun-background-check-system-224412971.html |location=Washington, D.C. |agency=PR Newswire |access-date=December 26, 2013}} The initial group consisted of 15 mayors who signed a statement of principles.{{cite web |url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/principles.shtml |title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Principles |year=2006 |publisher=Mayors Against Illegal Guns |access-date=June 12, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702003247/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/principles.shtml |archive-date=July 2, 2007 }} By the end of 2014, there were 855 mayors in the coalition.{{cite news |last=Bedard |first=Paul |date=February 7, 2014 |title=15% of Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun mayors leave |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/15-of-michael-bloombergs-anti-gun-mayors-leave/article/2543646 |newspaper=Washington Examiner }}

In April 2014, MAIG merged with Moms Demand Action to form Everytown for Gun Safety.{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=April 16, 2014 |title=Bloomberg launches new $50 million gun control effort |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/16/bloomberg-aims-to-spend-50-million-on-gun-control/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 10, 2015}} The launch of Everytown occurred nearly one year after the U.S. Senate debated a series of changes to federal gun laws in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, including a failed amendment, sponsored by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D) and Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey (R), that would have required background checks for all gun sales taking place at gun shows or over the internet.{{cite news |last=Richinick |first=Michele |date=December 23, 2014 |title=The gun control success stories you haven't heard |url=http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/surprised-unprecedented-progress-gun-control-2014 |publisher=MSNBC |access-date=March 10, 2015}}{{cite news |last=Gregory |first=David |date=April 19, 2014 |title=10 Questions: The Gun Debate with Shannon Watts |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/meet-the-press-24-7/10-questions-gun-debate-shannon-watts-n84756 |work=NBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419223828/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/meet-the-press-24-7/10-questions-gun-debate-shannon-watts-n84756 |archive-date=19 April 2014 |url-status=live}} According to Bloomberg, Everytown was founded to match the National Rifle Association of America in political influence.

The organization advocates for expanding the background check system for gun buyers through changes in state and federal laws, and supports legislation that would require background checks for all gun sales. The organization also supports state laws requiring the reporting of mental health records to the national background check system.{{cite news |last1=Daniel |first1=Seth |date=January 22, 2014 |title=Gun Violence Report to Urge Disclosure on Mental Health Records |url=http://www.reverejournal.com/2014/01/22/gun-violence-report-to-urge-disclosure-on-mental-health-records/# |work=Revere Journal |location=Revere, Massachusetts |access-date=March 24, 2015}}

Everytown supports banning assault weapons.{{Cite web |title=Prohibit Assault Weapons |url=https://www.everytown.org/solutions/assault-weapon-ban/ |access-date=2022-05-26 |website=Everytown |language=en-us}}

Everytown has supported laws that prohibit domestic abusers from obtaining firearms.{{cite news |last1=Groch-Begley |first1=Hannah |date=April 19, 2014 |title=Guns Make Domestic Violence Deadlier |url=http://truth-out.org/news/item/23180-guns-make-domestic-violence-deadlier |publisher=Media Matters |access-date=March 24, 2015}} Internal research produced by Everytown concludes that states that require background checks for private handgun sales have lower rates of intimate partner gun violence than states that do not require background checks.{{cite web |year=2015 |title=State Background Check Requirements and Rates of Domestic Violence Homicide |url=http://everytown.org/documents/2015/01/dv-background-checks-fact-sheet.pdf |publisher=Everytown for Gun Safety |access-date=March 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324151734/http://everytown.org/documents/2015/01/dv-background-checks-fact-sheet.pdf |archive-date=March 24, 2015 |url-status=dead }} According to the group, Everytown supported the passage of laws intended to block convicted domestic abusers and people subject to domestic violence restraining orders in six states in 2014: Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.{{cite web |date=June 18, 2014 |title=New Report Explores How Weak Laws Allow Domestic Abusers and Stalkers to Buy and Keep Guns, Calls on Political Leaders to Close Loopholes to Save Women's Lives |url=http://everytown.org/press/new-report-explores-how-weak-laws-allow-domestic-abusers-and-stalkers-to-buy-and-keep-guns-calls-on-political-leaders-to-close-loopholes-to-save-womens-lives/ |publisher=Everytown for Gun Safety |access-date=March 24, 2015}}

The organization supports gun safety technology and laws requiring safe storage of firearms to prevent accidental child gun deaths, citing the high rate of firearm injuries among American children compared to other countries.{{cite web |last1=Cruz |first1=Jennifer |date=June 25, 2014 |title=Everytown, Moms explore ways to prevent accidental shootings involving children |url=http://www.guns.com/2014/06/25/everytown-and-moms-explore-ways-to-prevent-accidental-shootings-involving-children/ |publisher=Guns.com |access-date=March 22, 2015 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518075449/http://www.guns.com/2014/06/25/everytown-and-moms-explore-ways-to-prevent-accidental-shootings-involving-children/ |url-status=dead }}

The organization also favors strengthening penalties for gun trafficking through the creation of a federal gun trafficking statute.{{cite web |last1=Zadrozny |first1=Brandy |author-link1=Brandy Zadrozny |date=July 7, 2014 |title=Mom Gun-Control Group Fights the NRA With Its Own Weapon |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/07/moms-gun-control-group-looks-to-midterm-elections-with-nra-style-questionnaire.html |work=Daily Beast |access-date=March 21, 2015}}

Prior to the inception of Everytown, a priority goal of Mayors Against Illegal Guns was to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, named after its sponsor, former Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS). Since its passage in 2003 as an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, the Tiahrt Amendment has forbidden the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from releasing information from its firearm trace database to anyone other than a law enforcement agency or prosecutor in connection with a specific criminal investigation, and any data so released is deemed inadmissible in a civil lawsuit.{{cite web|title=Protect police |url=http://www.protectpolice.org/docs/tiahrt_amendment.pdf |website=Protect Police |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402161230/http://www.protectpolice.org/docs/tiahrt_amendment.pdf |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=dead }} Representative Tiahrt stated that his amendment intended to protect the privacy of gun owners and to prevent abuse of the data by anyone outside of law enforcement agencies.{{cite press release |url=https://www.nraila.org/articles/20070504/law-enforcement-agrees-with-nra-agai |title=Law Enforcement Agrees With NRA -- Again! |publisher=NRA-ILA |date=May 4, 2007 |access-date=February 15, 2016}}

Mayors Against Illegal Guns sought the repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment for these reasons:

• The Tiahrt Amendment restricts access of state and local law enforcement authority to gun trace data, hindering municipal police departments' ability to track down sellers of illegal guns, to investigate gun trafficking patterns, and to make connections between individual gun-related crimes.{{cite news |last=Knight |first=Heather |date=June 19, 2007 |title=Mayors Fight Gun Measure |url=http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/SAN-FRANCISCO-Mayors-fight-gun-measure-2585747.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle }} Mayor Bloomberg has called the Amendment "an insult to the thousands of police officers that face the threat of illegal guns."{{cite news |last=Viqueira |first=Mike |date=July 10, 2007 |title=Mr. Bloomberg Comes to DC |url=http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2007/07/10/4436403-mr-bloomberg-comes-to-dc |work=NBC News }}{{cite web |url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/federal/tiahrt.shtml |title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns - Tiahrt Amendment Facts: History and Effect |access-date=September 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907105728/http://mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/federal/tiahrt.shtml |archive-date=September 7, 2009 }}
• The Tiahrt Amendment requires that NICS background check records be destroyed within 24 hours. According to MAIG, this makes it harder for law enforcement authorities to catch law-breaking gun dealers who falsify their records and makes it more difficult to identify and track down straw purchasers who buy guns on behalf of criminals who wouldn't be able to pass a background check or prohibited purchasers who buy firearms themselves due to errors in the background check process.
• The Tiahrt Amendment denies the ATF the authority to require dealer inventory checks to detect lost and stolen guns. Under current rules, the ATF can conduct a warrantless search of any licensed gun dealer once per year.{{cite web|url=http://www.atf.gov/press/factsheets/0608-factsheet-ffl-inspections.pdf |title=FFL Compliance Inspections |date=June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920114736/http://www.atf.gov/press/factsheets/0608-factsheet-ffl-inspections.pdf |archive-date=September 20, 2008 |url-status=dead }}

Joining Mayors Against Illegal Guns in supporting the repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment were 10 national law enforcement organizations, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Police Executive Research Forum; state law enforcement associations representing 22 states; and individual police chiefs representing 39 states.[http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/le-opposes-tiahrt-06-12-07.doc] {{dead link|date=December 2013}} The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence has pointed out that the ATF under the Bush administration (2001–2008) was unable to produce any evidence that law enforcement officers were harmed by the agency's release of crime gun trace data prior to 2003.{{cite web |url=http://www.bradycenter.org/xshare/pdf/reports/giw.pdf |title=Without A Trace: How the Gun Lobby and the Government Suppress the Truth About Guns and Crime |author=Haile, Elizabeth S. |date=April 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060519204731/http://www.bradycampaign.org/xshare/pdf/reports/giw.pdf |archive-date=May 19, 2006 }}

In July 2007, after the House Appropriations Committee rebuffed attempts to repeal the amendment, the Senate Appropriations Committee went further, approving a bill that, according to The New York Times, "threaten[ed] law enforcement officials with prison time for using gun tracing data beyond a specific investigation, say, for identifying and targeting trafficking patterns."{{cite news |author=Editorial |date=July 17, 2007 |title=Bad and (Maybe) Good News on Guns |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/opinion/17tue3.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=May 12, 2010 }}

Congressman Tiahrt responded to MAIG's position on his amendment in a congressional statement in 2007:{{cite web |url=http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ks04_tiahrt/2007/MAIGResponse.html |title=Tiahrt Responds to MAIG Campaign of Lies and Distortion |date=June 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202042059/http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ks04_tiahrt/2007/MAIGResponse.html |archive-date=February 2, 2008 }}

{{blockquote|At issue was a campaign urging repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment, which prohibits the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from releasing gun trace data to the public. The ATF gun trace database contains investigation-specific information and is made available to law enforcement agencies and prosecutors for criminal investigations. The ATF and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the nation's largest law enforcement organization, support the Tiahrt Amendment and have requested its reauthorization every year since 2003. Both organizations claimed repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment would jeopardize ongoing criminal investigations and risk the lives of undercover law enforcement officers ... The organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns is behind the Tiahrt repeal campaign. The group claims to have the support of numerous police chiefs across the country, which is also misleading according to National FOP President Chuck Canterbury:

"The mayors would have you believe that law enforcement supports giving them the information on gun traces because many of their employees--namely police chiefs, who often serve at the pleasure of the mayor--have publicly backed their coalition," explained Canterbury. "But the officers in the field who are actually working illegal gun cases know that releasing sensitive information about pending cases can jeopardize the integrity of an investigation or even place the lives of undercover officers in danger. That is why the Fraternal Order of Police has always supported language protecting firearms trace data, now known as the 'Tiahrt amendment.' For the men and women in uniform who are fighting illegal guns, it is a matter of officer safety and good police work."

NY Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FOP have all requested this language to protect investigations and law enforcement officers. Hopefully it is true that not one law enforcement officer ever died prior to the enactment of the Tiahrt protection—Rep. Tiahrt joins the FOP, ATF and others in supporting a policy that will keep it that way."}}

Kelly, however, has participated in events calling for the repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment.{{cite press release|title=Members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns Stand with Police Chiefs and Members of Congress to Urge Repeal of Tiahrt Amendment |url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr010-07.shtml |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Mayors Against Illegal Guns |date=July 10, 2007 |access-date=December 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510132409/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr010-07.shtml |archive-date=May 10, 2013 }} The ATF under the Obama administration has issued no formal position on the amendment. While a Senator, President Barack Obama stated:

At a time when bloodshed on our streets is on the rise, making sure that our law enforcement officers have all the tools they need to fight crime should be our top priority. But instead of providing those tools, the Tiahrt Amendment ties the hands of police in their effort to halt illegal gun trafficking and sales. I am proud to join the Mayors Against Illegal Guns in their fight against this dangerous legislation. Our communities and the brave men and women who risk their lives everyday to protect us deserve more from Congress.

His administration, however, sought only minor modifications to the amendment during the most recent appropriations cycle.{{cite press release|title=Statement by Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chairs on Obama Administration's Reform of the Tiahrt Amendments |url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr003-09.shtml |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Mayors Against Illegal Guns |date=May 7, 2009 |access-date=December 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510132108/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr003-09.shtml |archive-date=May 10, 2013 }}

Moms Demand Action has also advocated against constitutional carry,{{cite web |date=March 10, 2020 |title=Moms Demand Action Responds to House Committee Passage of Permitless Carry |url=https://momsdemandaction.org/moms-demand-action-responds-to-house-committee-passage-of-permitless-carry/|access-date=March 22, 2022}} also known as permitless carry,{{cite news|url=https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150225/kansas-permitless-carry-bill-to-receive-vote-tomorrow-on-senate-floor|title=Kansas: Permitless Carry Bill to Receive Vote Tomorrow on Senate Floor|date=February 25, 2015|access-date=February 27, 2015|publisher=NRA-ILA}} unrestricted carry,{{Cite journal|last1=Schiller|first1=Henry J.|last2=Matos|first2=Miguel A.|last3=Zielinski|first3=Martin D.|last4=Bailey|first4=Kent R.|last5=Hernandez|first5=Matthew C.|last6=Hamill|first6=Mark E.|date=January 1, 2019|title=State Level Firearm Concealed-Carry Legislation and Rates of Homicide and Other Violent Crime|url=https://www.journalacs.org/article/S1072-7515(18)32074-X/abstract|journal=Journal of the American College of Surgeons|language=English|volume=228|issue=1|pages=1–8|doi=10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2018.08.694|issn=1072-7515|pmid=30359832|s2cid=53104255 |doi-access=}} or Vermont carry, which refers to legislation that legalizes the public concealed or open carry of firearms without a license or permit.{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|title=Arizona to allow concealed weapons without permit|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/arizona-to-allow-concealed-weapons-without-permit/|access-date=February 27, 2015|publisher=Fox News|date=April 16, 2010}}{{cite news|last1=Gehrke|first1=Robert|title='Constitutional Carry' law stalls in committee|url=http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/pages/printerfriendly.csp?id=51308129|access-date=February 27, 2015|publisher=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=February 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227173926/http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/pages/printerfriendly.csp?id=51308129|archive-date=February 27, 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Maine lawmaker submits 'Constitutional Carry' bill|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2015/02/26/news/state/maine-lawmaker-submits-constitutional-carry-bill/|access-date=February 27, 2015|publisher=Bangor Daily News|date=February 26, 2015}} On March 21, 2022, Indiana became the 24th state to legalize constitutional carry; Moms Demand Action was initially founded in Indianapolis, Indiana and, even so, the bill was able to pass despite staunch opposition by the organization.{{cite web |date=March 21, 2022 |title=Governor Holcomb Signs Permitless Carry Bill Into Law Over Law Enforcement Objections, Ignoring Widespread Opposition from Public Safety Advocates |url=https://momsdemandaction.org/governor-holcomb-signs-permitless-carry-bill-into-law-over-law-enforcement-objections-ignoring-widespread-opposition-from-public-safety-advocates/ |access-date=March 22, 2022}}{{cite web |date=March 22, 2022 |title=MAKE IT 24: PERMITLESS CARRY SIGNED IN INDIANA|url=https://www.guns.com/news/2022/03/22/make-it-24-permitless-carry-signed-in-indiana |access-date=March 22, 2022}}

Everytown has filed amicus curiae briefs in support of New Jersey's high-capacity magazine ban,{{cite web | url=https://everytownresearch.org/everytown-submits-amicus-brief-support-new-jerseys-large-capacity-magazine-prohibition/ | title=Everytown Submits Amicus Brief in Support of New Jersey's Large Capacity Magazine Prohibition | date=July 6, 2018 | access-date=July 24, 2018 | archive-date=July 26, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726005829/https://everytownresearch.org/everytown-submits-amicus-brief-support-new-jerseys-large-capacity-magazine-prohibition/ | url-status=dead }} California's may-issue permitting law,{{cite web | url=https://everytownresearch.org/amicus-brief-flanagan-v-becerra/ | title=Everytown Files Brief in Support of California's Public Carry System (Flanagan v. Becerra) | date=September 18, 2017 | access-date=July 24, 2018 | archive-date=July 26, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726005747/https://everytownresearch.org/amicus-brief-flanagan-v-becerra/ | url-status=dead }} and New York's may-issue permitting law.{{cite web|url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/20/20-843/193256/20210921153701519_20-843%20bsac%20Bruen%20Everytown%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf|title=BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS|access-date=June 30, 2022}} A brief was filed challenging Florida's state preemption law against local firearm ordinances.{{cite web | url=https://everytownresearch.org/broward-county-cities-elected-officials-file-lawsuit-florida-officials/ | title=Everytown Litigation Files Suit on Behalf of Florida Cities Challenging Punitive Preemption Penalties; Seeks to Clear Path For Local Ordinances that would Limit Sales of Large Capacity Magazines | date=April 10, 2018 | access-date=July 24, 2018 | archive-date=July 26, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726005701/https://everytownresearch.org/broward-county-cities-elected-officials-file-lawsuit-florida-officials/ | url-status=dead }}

In July 2018, the organization sought an injunction to block the distribution of blueprints for 3D printed firearms by Defense Distributed.{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-guns/us-gun-control-groups-seek-to-block-distribution-of-3-d-gun-blueprints-idUSKBN1KE33J | title=U.S. Gun Control Groups Seek to Block Distribution of 3-D Gun Blueprints | date=July 24, 2018 | access-date=July 25, 2018 | author=Lynch, Sarah| newspaper=Reuters }}

The group also advocated for the prohibition of bump stocks following the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting.{{Cite web|url=https://everytown.org/press/this-week-marks-one-month-since-parkland-mass-shooting-its-time-for-congress-to-take-bold-action-on-gun-safety/|title=This Week Marks One Month Since Parkland Mass Shooting: It's Time for Congress to Take Bold Action on Gun Safety|date=March 12, 2018}}

In April 2008, Walmart — the largest retailer of firearms in the U.S. — voluntarily adopted a number of new sales practices at the behest of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, to "help ensure that guns do not fall into the wrong hands".{{cite web |url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/partnership/partnership.shtml |title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership |publisher=Mayors Against Illegal Guns |access-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801050120/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/partnership/partnership.shtml |archive-date=August 1, 2013 }} Senior Vice President J. P. Suarez stated that Walmart signed the 10-point code of the "Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership" to help the corporation "fine tune the things we're already doing, and further strengthen our standards". He added, "We hope other retailers will join us in adopting the code."{{cite press release |title=Wal-Mart and Mayors Against Illegal Guns Announce "Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership" |url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr007-08.shtml |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Mayors Against Illegal Guns |date=April 14, 2008 |access-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517061747/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/media-center/pr007-08.shtml |archive-date=May 17, 2013 }}

In 2009, Mayors Against Illegal Guns lobbied against the Thune Amendment on concealed firearms, taking out full paper ads in hundreds of newspapers and directly lobbying then Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter.{{cite web|title=Senators Reject Gun Proposal|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=8140491&page=1&singlePage=true|work=ABC News|access-date=April 20, 2015}} The Thune Amendment, often referred to as "Concealed Carry Reciprocity", would have changed federal law to require each U.S. state to recognize permits from all other states. Currently, each state decides which other states' permits they will recognize. The NRA, which supported the amendment, vowed to "score" the vote of legislators. The amendment was defeated 58 to 39, the first time the NRA had lost a vote on the Senate floor in a decade.{{cite web|title=U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00237|publisher=Senate.gov|access-date=April 18, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Henigan|first1=Dennis|title=Senators Choke on Gun Lobby Hypocrisy|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-a-henigan/senators-choke-on-gun-lob_b_243816.html|work=HuffPost|access-date=April 18, 2015|date=July 23, 2009}}{{cite news|last1=Roig-Franzia|first1=Manuel|title=A Battle of Goliaths: Michael Bloomberg and His Gun Control Group Take on the NRA|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/04/AR2009080403132_pf.html|newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 5, 2009 |access-date=February 15, 2016}}

After the 2011 Tucson shooting in which Representative Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) was injured, the organization started a petition called "Fix Gun Checks" to require background checks for all gun purchasers, which received 250,000 signatures.{{cite news|last1=Skyler|first1=Tristine|title=On the Road with the Fix Gun Checks Tour|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tristine-skyler/it-takes-a-country-to-sav_b_878342.html|work=HuffPost|access-date=April 20, 2015|date=June 16, 2011}} The group also released research demonstrating that 18 states had submitted fewer than 100 mental health records to the background check system,{{cite news|title=Editorial: Reporting loophole lets mentally ill buy guns|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/story/2012-01-05/mentally-ill-access-to-guns/52397838/1|work=USA Today|access-date=April 20, 2015|date=January 5, 2012|archive-date=January 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120160940/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/story/2012-01-05/mentally-ill-access-to-guns/52397838/1|url-status=dead}} and lent its support for the Fix Gun Checks Act, introduced by New York Senator Charles Schumer and Representative Carolyn McCarthy.{{cite news|last1=Dzieza|first1=Josh|title=More Cops Shot as Felons Buy Illegal Guns Online|newspaper=The Daily Beast|date=December 17, 2011|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/17/more-cops-shot-as-felons-buy-illegal-guns-online.html|access-date=April 20, 2015|ref=The Daily Beast}}{{cite web|title=Fix Gun Checks|url=http://carolynmccarthy.house.gov/recent-news/rep-mccarthy-remarks-re-house-introduction-of-fix-gun-checks-act/|access-date=April 20, 2015|ref=House.Gov|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210201926/http://carolynmccarthy.house.gov/recent-news/rep-mccarthy-remarks-re-house-introduction-of-fix-gun-checks-act/|archive-date=December 10, 2014}} The group drove a truck on a two-month tour of the country with planned stops in several states to raise awareness about gun violence.{{cite web|last1=Ravindranath|first1=Mohana|title=Nutter welcomes truck tour touting gun law reform|url=http://articles.philly.com/2011-02-19/news/28611754_1_gun-laws-gun-violence-mayors-against-illegal-guns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017072900/http://articles.philly.com/2011-02-19/news/28611754_1_gun-laws-gun-violence-mayors-against-illegal-guns|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 17, 2015|work=Philadelphia Daily News|access-date=April 20, 2015}}

In 2012, the organization worked with retired military leaders to successfully overturn a Congressional amendment prohibiting military commanders and mental health professionals from inquiring about or keeping records of firearms and ammunition in service members' private possession.{{cite press release|title=Sen. Inhofe Introduces Legislation To Protect Second Amendment Rights Of Military And Dept. Of Defense Civilian Personnel|url=https://www.nraila.org/articles/20100528/sen-inhofe-introduces-legislation-to-p|publisher=NRA-ILA|access-date=April 20, 2015}} In April 2013, the organization led efforts to pass legislation in the U.S. Senate to require a background check for all gun sales in commercial settings.{{cite news|title='Mayors Against Illegal Guns' Push For Background Checks|newspaper=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/04/10/176828046/mayors-against-illegal-guns-push-for-background-checks|publisher=NPR|access-date=May 8, 2015}} Known as the Manchin-Toomey Amendment (Amendment 715 of the 113th Congress), the legislation would have expanded the requirements for conducting background checks to cover all gun sales made over the internet and at gun shows. The amendment ultimately failed to win the 60 votes necessary for passage in the Senate.{{cite web|title=Bill Summary & Status 113th Congress (2013 - 2014) S.AMDT.715|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:samdt715:|website=Library of Congress Thomas|date=April 17, 2013|access-date=May 15, 2015|archive-date=January 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120160941/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:samdt715:|url-status=dead}}

After the Senate vote, Mayors Against Illegal Guns ran ads in 13 states either in support of Senators who voted to pass the legislation or in opposition to lawmakers who voted against it.{{cite web|last1=Fox|first1=Lauren|title=Bloomberg Targets Vulnerable Lawmakers Over Background Checks|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/03/25/bloomberg-targets-vulnerable-lawmakers-over-background-checks|work=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=May 8, 2015}}{{cite journal|last1=Knickerbocker|first1=Brad|title=Mayors, NRA go head-to-head over gun sale background checks|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2013/0324/Mayors-NRA-go-head-to-head-over-gun-sale-background-checks|journal=The Christian Science Monitor|date=March 24, 2013|access-date=May 7, 2015}} The group spent approximately $12 million on these advertisements. Mayors Against Illegal Guns also ran a bus tour, similar to the bus tour it organized following the shooting of Giffords, entitled "No More Names". The No More Names tour visited 25 states in 100 days to build local support for passing gun violence prevention legislation in Congress. No More Names is a program launched on June 14, 2013 (the six month anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting) with the stated purpose to "pass common-sense laws, including comprehensive background checks, that will reduce gun violence and save lives." The program revolves around a bus tour of twenty-five states in one hundred days starting in Newtown, Connecticut. At each stop "gun violence survivors, mayors, faith leaders, and other community members will read aloud the names of Americans killed with guns since Newtown." This is to encourage members of Congress "to pass common sense gun laws."{{cite web|last=staff|title=No More Names|url=http://nomorenames.org/|access-date=August 18, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815090335/http://nomorenames.org/|archive-date=August 15, 2013}}

MAIG organizers issued an apology after speakers mistakenly included the name of Boston marathon bombing perpetrator Tamerlan Tsarnaev among a list of shooting victims read aloud at a gun control rally in Concord, New Hampshire—an error noted in the New Hampshire Union Leader and criticized by the New Hampshire Republican Party, amongst others.{{cite news|url=http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130620/NEWS06/130619117|title=Apology issued for naming of Boston bomber as a victim of gun violence at Concord rally|work=New Hampshire Union Leader|first=Tim|last=Buckland|access-date=June 21, 2013|date=June 20, 2013|archive-date=October 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021030548/http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130620/NEWS06/130619117|url-status=dead}} Further inspection found that the list also contained the names of at least ten murder suspects including former Los Angeles Police Department officer-turned-fugitive Christopher Dorner.{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2013/06/california-cop-killer-dorner-included-on-list-of-gun-victims-used-by-bloomberg-group |title=California Cop Killer Dorner Included on List of Gun Victims Used by Bloomberg Group |work=Daily News|location=New York |date=June 20, 2013 |access-date=June 26, 2013 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/bloomberg-group-named-christopher-dorner-other-murder-suspec|title=Bloomberg Group Named Christopher Dorner, Other Murder Suspects On List Of Gun Violence 'Victims'|first=McKay|last=Coppins|publisher=BuzzFeed|access-date=June 20, 2013|date=June 20, 2013}} In response, the group issued a statement explaining that it used a list compiled by Slate.com as its source.

During the 2014 elections, Everytown endorsed over 100 candidates for office in 28 states.{{cite web|title=Everytown Releases Endorsements, TV Ads and Announces Gun Sense Voter Campaign Road Show Heading to Washington State|url=http://everytown.org/press/everytown-releases-endorsements-tv-ads-and-announces-gun-sense-voter-campaign-road-show-heading-to-washington-state/|publisher=Everytown|access-date=May 7, 2015}} Everytown was active in supporting the passage of Washington State Initiative 594, a successful ballot initiative that changed Washington State law to require background checks for all gun purchases. According to public records, Everytown's expenditures in support of Initiative 594 total over $3.2 million, and was among the top five contributors to the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, the Washington state group formed to support the passage of Initiative 594.{{cite web|title=Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility|url=http://wagunresponsibility.org/|publisher=Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility|access-date=May 8, 2015}} Everytown also opposed Washington State Initiative 591, a countermeasure to Initiative 594 supported by gun rights groups.{{cite web|title=HOME|url=http://wagunrights.org/|publisher=Protect Our Gun Rights Washington|access-date=May 8, 2015}} Initiative 594 was approved on November 4, 2014, with 59.3% voting yes and 40.7% voting no. Initiative 591, which appeared on the same ballot, was rejected with 55.3% voting no and 44.7% voting yes. The group also supported the reelection of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (D) and Colorado State Senators who supported the 2013 passage of gun violence prevention laws in the state, including a law that requires background checks on all gun sales.

Following on the organization's successful advocacy of Washington State Initiative 594, the group announced plans to support a similar initiative in Nevada. On December 8, 2014, the Nevada initiative qualified to be on that state's 2016 ballot.{{cite news|last1=Connelly|first1=Joel|title=Gun background checks: Nevada is next target state|url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/11/13/gun-background-checks-nevada-is-next-target-state/|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|access-date=May 8, 2015|archive-date=May 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514200203/http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/11/13/gun-background-checks-nevada-is-next-target-state/|url-status=dead}} The initiative passed, but is on hold due to state Attorney General Adam Laxalt's interpretation of the ballot language regarding involvement of the FBI making it unenforceable.{{cite web|title=Nevada Background Checks for Gun Purchases, Question 1 (2016)|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Nevada_Background_Checks_for_Gun_Purchases,_Question_1_(2016)|website=Ballotpedia|access-date=February 18, 2018}} On October 4, 2017, the initiative support campaign, Nevadans for Background Checks, filed suit against Laxalt and Governor Brian Sandoval, demanding that they implement the law. Everytown has announced that it will consider ballot initiative campaigns in Arizona, Maine, and Oregon.

In December 2015, the organization teamed up with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to produce a series of ads calling for an end to gun violence, without offering specific policy recommendations. NBA players featured in the ads included Stephen Curry and Carmelo Anthony. The ads first aired on Christmas Day that year.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/24/sports/basketball/nba-gun-violence-campaign-michael-bloomberg.html | title=N.B.A. Lends Its Name and Its Stars to Campaign Against Gun Violence | newspaper=The New York Times | date=December 23, 2015 | access-date=December 26, 2015 | author=Schonbrun, Zach}}

Everytown, Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action sponsored a gun forum for 2020 presidential candidates at The Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on August 10, 2019.{{citation|newspaper=Des Moines Register|date=August 9, 2019|access-date=August 9, 2019|title=17 presidential candidates will attend Saturday's gun forum in Des Moines. Here's what to expect. |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2019/08/07/gun-mass-shootings-regulation-iowa-el-paso-dayton-policy-presidential-everytown-2020-trump-democrats/1946231001/}}

Everytown has an advisory board composed of mayors, business and military leaders, and survivors of gun violence. As of January 2014, the organization's advisory board consisted of the following members:{{cite web|title=New Gun Violence Prevention Group 'Everytown for Gun Safety' Unites Mayors, Moms and Millions of Americans on New Paths to Victory: State Capitols, Corporate Responsibility, Voter Activation|url=http://everytown.org/press/new-gun-violence-prevention-group-everytown-for-gun-safety-unites-mayors-moms-and-millions-of-americans-on-new-paths-to-victory-state-capitols-corporate-responsibility-voter-activation/|publisher=Everytown|access-date=April 20, 2015}}

• Art Acevedo — former Chief of Police, Houston, Texas
• Tom Barrett — former mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Stephen Barton — Survivor of the 2012 Aurora theater shooting
• Michael R. Bloomberg — Publisher, investor, and former mayor of New York City
• David Boren — Former governor and United States senator from Oklahoma
• Eli Broad — Philanthropist
• Warren Buffett — Investor
• Gloria Chavez — Mayor of Tijeras, New Mexico
• David Chipman — Former Agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
• Michael B. Coleman — Former mayor of Columbus, Ohio
• Carlos A. Giménez — U. S. representative (FL-28), former mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida
• Roxanna Greene — Mother of Christina Taylor Greene, killed in the 2011 Tucson shooting
• Nick Hanauer — Venture capitalist
• Geoffrey Henry — Mayor of Oxford, Pennsylvania
• Irwin M. Jacobs — Former Chairman of Qualcomm
• Danny Jones — Former mayor of Charleston, West Virginia
• Ken Lerer — Businessman and media executive
• John Mack — Former CEO of Morgan Stanley
• Chris McDonnell — Father of Grace McDonnell, a student killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
• Marc Morial — President of the National Urban League, former mayor of New Orleans
• Mike Mullen — Admiral in the U.S. Navy, retired
• Michael Nutter — Former mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Annise Parker — Former mayor of Houston, Texas
• Cleopatra and Nathaniel Pendleton — Mother and father of Hadiya Pendleton, killed by gunfire
• Gilles Rousseau — Father of Lauren Rousseau, a teacher killed at the Sandy Hook school shooting
• Christy Salters Martin — Former professional boxer, a survivor of gun violence
• Shannon Watts — Founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense

MAIG membership consists of "more than 1,000 current and former Mayors."{{cite web|title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns|url=http://everytown.org/mayors/|publisher=Everytown|access-date=April 22, 2015}} MAIG membership dropped 15%, from 1,046 to 885, between the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012 and a count reported in February 2014. NRA president James W. Porter, said "there's very little political will to take on any of these gun issues." Some mayors said the group had moved from being against illegal guns to simply being against guns. MAIG chairman John Feinblatt said the group has the same principles as before and that the membership drop was "just the natural course of events that mayors leave and join our coalition based on the electoral cycle."{{cite news |last=Bedard |first=Paul |date=February 7, 2014 |title=15% of Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun mayors leave |url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/15-of-michael-bloombergs-anti-gun-mayors-leave/article/2543646# |newspaper=Washington Examiner }} However, several founding mayors ended up in prison such as Kwame Kilpatrick, mayor of Detroit.{{Citation|title=Criminal Behavior by Members of "Mayors Against Illegal Guns"|date=February 3, 2012|url=https://www.nraila.org/articles/20120203/criminal-behavior-by-members-of-maig}}

Meanwhile, in Rockford, Illinois, Mayor Larry Morrissey believed "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" would be a group focused on guns that were illegally possessed by prohibited persons, but instead found the focus of MAIG was to promote legislation that made rifles and magazines illegal.{{Citation|last=Ulysses Arn|title=Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey Leaving Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Getting Concealed Carry Permit|date=June 22, 2013|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6spGzmDlIt0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/6spGzmDlIt0 |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=July 14, 2018}}{{cbignore}}

In 2009, at least four mayors issued public statements in reaffirmation of their membership and praise of the coalition, in response to the NRA's letter-writing campaign. One mayor reaffirmed her membership while stating "Nothing that this organization has lobbied for has been to get rid of guns altogether or to take away people's Second Amendment rights".{{cite web|author=Sepia |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2009/10/01/nra-off-the-mark/ |title=NRA off the mark: The gist: The gun lobby is wrongly targeting mayors' group on public safety. |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=October 1, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/242506 |title=Gray targets illegal guns: Defends city's firearm regs |publisher=LancasterOnline.com |date=September 22, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127080440/http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/242506 |archive-date=January 27, 2013 }}{{cite web|last=Lilienthal |first=Stacy |url=http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/80774322.html |title=New Mayor in Yakima |publisher=KIMATV.com |date=January 5, 2010 |access-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228123519/http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/80774322.html |archive-date=December 28, 2013 }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/09/14/edler-notes-nra-pressure-to-quit-mayors-against-illegal-guns |title=Edler notes NRA pressure to quit Mayors Against Illegal Guns | Yakima... |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090923233856/http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/09/14/edler-notes-nra-pressure-to-quit-mayors-against-illegal-guns |archive-date=23 September 2009 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://prtl-sitea-maigs.nyc.gov/html/media-center/yhr_091509.shtml |title=Edler notes NRA pressure to quit Mayors Against Illegal Guns |access-date=November 19, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119195916/http://prtl-sitea-maigs.nyc.gov/html/media-center/yhr_091509.shtml |archive-date=November 19, 2015 }}{{cite news|agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/western_mass_mayors_taking_hea.html |title=Western Mass. mayors taking heat from NRA for membership in Mayors Against Illegal Guns |publisher=MassLive.com |date=October 15, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2013}}

File:Moms Demand Action logo.png

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America was founded on December 15, 2012, one day after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The organization was founded for mothers to advocate for violation of the second amendment and gun ownership prevention as a campaign of the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. The group was founded by Shannon Watts in Indianapolis, Indiana and originally began as a grassroots Facebook group page titled "One Million Moms for Gun Control". By the end of 2013, Moms Demand Action had grown into an advocacy group with 130,000 members and chapters in all 50 states.{{cite web|title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action to Join Forces, Unite a National Movement to Protect Communities and Save Lives|date=December 19, 2013 |url=http://momsdemandaction.org/in-the-news/mayors-illegal-guns-moms-demand-action-join-forces-unite-national-movement-protect-communities-save-lives |publisher=Moms Demand Action|access-date=May 7, 2015}}{{cite press release|title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action to Join Forces, Unite a National Movement to Protect Communities and Save Lives|date=December 19, 2013|publisher=Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America|location=Washington, D.C.|url=http://momsdemandaction.org/in-the-news/mayors-illegal-guns-moms-demand-action-join-forces-unite-national-movement-protect-communities-save-lives/|author=|access-date=December 27, 2013}} The group has cited the example of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) as a model for its establishment.{{cite news |first=Heather |last=Knight |url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Moms-group-s-tactics-show-there-is-cause-for-12278589.php?t=8603837d09 |title=Moms' group's tactics show there is cause for optimism about gun control |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=October 15, 2017 }}{{cite web |title=About Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America |url=http://momsdemandaction.org/about |publisher=Moms Demand Action |access-date=May 7, 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/04/moms-gun-control-ad-cites-dangers-of-little-red-riding-hood/|title=Moms' Gun Control Ad Cites Dangers of 'Little Red Riding Hood'|last=Parnass|first=Sarah|date=April 15, 2013|work=ABC News|access-date=August 2, 2013}}{{cite news|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/113292/nras-end-real-gun-control-movement-has-arrived|title=This Is How the NRA Ends: A bigger, richer, meaner gun-control movement has arrived|last=MacGillis|first=Alec|date=May 28, 2013|newspaper=The New Republic|access-date=August 2, 2013}} Moms Demand Action has lobbied members of Congress to expand background checks for individuals purchasing guns,{{cite news|url=http://www.thenation.com/blog/175557/harry-reid-expects-senate-will-take-background-checks-midterms|title=Harry Reid Expects the Senate Will Take Up Background Checks Before Midterms|last=Zornick|first=George|date=August 1, 2013|newspaper=The Nation|access-date=August 2, 2013}} and claims to have persuaded Starbucks to ban guns from its coffee shops. Moms Demand Action endorses congressional candidates.{{cite news |title=This year has been deadlier for American students than American military members |first=Chris |last=Sommerfeldt |newspaper=New York Daily News |date=May 18, 2018 |access-date=May 19, 2018 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/year-deadlier-american-students-troops-article-1.3997382}}

An ad campaign launched by the group compared laws concerning assault weapons with laws that have successfully banned other things in certain areas of the United States, including Kinder Surprise chocolates, certain books, and dodgeball. In December 2013, Moms Demand Action announced that it had merged with Mayors Against Illegal Guns to form Everytown for Gun Safety. {{As of|2017|10}}, it says it has 4 million members.

In February 2018, in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, the group launched a campaign asking companies providing streaming services to remove the NRA's online channel (NRATV) from their offer.{{Cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/02/23/media/nra-tv-apple-tv-amazon-fire-roku-chromecast|title=Gun safety groups want Apple TV and Amazon Fire to pull NRATV|last=Meyersohn|first=Nathaniel|work=CNNMoney|access-date=February 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224225126/https://money.cnn.com/2018/02/23/media/nra-tv-apple-tv-amazon-fire-roku-chromecast |archive-date=February 24, 2018 |url-status=live}}

On April 27, 2023, Moms Demand Action announced the appointment of its first executive director, Angela Ferrell-Zabala, who was previously Senior Vice President of Movement Building for Everytown.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-27 |title=EXCLUSIVE: Amid Troubling Gun Violence, Angela Ferrell-Zabala Is Fighting Back As The First Executive Director Of Moms Demand Action |url=https://www.essence.com/news/gun-violence-angela-ferrell-zabala-first-executive-director-moms-demand-action/ |access-date=2023-07-06 |website=Essence |language=en-US}}

File:Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America - Gun Control Activists at Twin Cities Pride (42927816355).jpg

Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is Everytown's brown coat student wing. After the February 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School in Parkland Florida, many students implored Everytown for Gun Safety to found a branch dedicated to student activism.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-guns-everytown-idUSKCN1G52YX|title=U.S. students turn to gun-control group after school shooting|date=February 22, 2018|work=Reuters|access-date=April 8, 2019|language=en}} In response, Everytown founded the student organization and began accepting applications from students who wanted to found their own chapters of the group in early 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.elitedaily.com/p/everytowns-students-demand-action-campaign-is-getting-students-involved-in-gun-reform-8338032|title=This Campaign Is Getting Students Involved In Gun Control Reform After Parkland|last=Petersen|first=Lilli|website=Elite Daily|date=February 27, 2018 |language=en|access-date=April 8, 2019}} Two days after the March for Our Lives rally was held in Washington, D.C., Everytown announced a $1 million grant program would be made available to accelerate already-burgeoning growth.{{Cite web|url=https://everytown.org/press/everytown-continues-to-support-student-organizers-following-march-for-our-lives/|title=Everytown Continues to Support Student Organizers Following March for Our Lives|website=Everytown for Gun Safety|language=en|access-date=April 8, 2019}} Students Demand Action chapters, in addition to pursuing goals set by student leaders and advisors, work with Everytown for Gun Safety's national office as well as local and state Moms Demand Action chapters to coordinate advocacy. In early 2019, Moms Demand Action hosted legislative advocacy days in coordination with local Students Demand Action chapters in multiple states.{{Cite web|url=https://momsdemandaction.org/florida-moms-demand-action-students-demand-action-everytown-respond-after-senate-education-committee-passes-bill-that-would-allow-teachers-to-be-armed/|title=Florida Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, Everytown Respond After Senate Education Committee Passes Bill That Would Allow Teachers to be Armed|date=February 12, 2019|website=Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense In America|language=en-US|access-date=April 8, 2019}}{{Cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Andy |date=February 24, 2019 |title=Moms group calls for gun restrictions |url=https://www.underthegeorgiasun.com/2019/02/24/moms-group-calls-for-gun-restrictions/ |access-date=April 8, 2019 |website=The Georgia Sun |language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://themacweekly.com/2019/03/students-demand-action-lobbies-for-gun-control-on-state-advocacy-day/|title=Students Demand Action lobbies for gun control on State Advocacy Day|last=Melrose|first=Charlotte|date=March 21, 2019|website=The Mac Weekly|language=en-US|access-date=April 8, 2019}} According to Everytown, over 200 groups have been founded as of the end of 2018.{{cite tweet|number=1078818393338363904|user=Everytown|title=YEAR IN REVIEW: Students who are tired of feeling unsafe at home, at school, and in their communities, started more... |accessdate=April 8, 2019|language=en|date=December 28, 2018}}

In September 2009, the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) stated that Mayors Against Illegal Guns is not "only concerned with 'illegal' guns" but is actually "anti-gun". The NRA encouraged members to ask their mayors to resign from MAIG.{{cite web|url=http://www.theitem.com/article/20090915/ITNEWS01/709159910 |title=Mayor stands up to NRA pressure|work=The Item|location=South Carolina |access-date=September 15, 2009 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web|url=http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/09/14/edler-notes-nra-pressure-to-quit-mayors-against-illegal-guns |title=Edler notes NRA pressure to quit Mayors Against Illegal Guns | Yakima Herald-Republic Online |access-date=September 15, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090923233856/http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/09/14/edler-notes-nra-pressure-to-quit-mayors-against-illegal-guns |archive-date=September 23, 2009 }}{{cite web |last1=Kelly |first1=Niki |last2=Lanka |first2=Benjamin |url=http://www.jg.net/article/20090913/LOCAL0202/309139878 |title=Henry resists heat from NRA |date=September 13, 2009 |work=Journal Gazette |location=Fort Wayne, Indiana |access-date=September 15, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716183637/http://www.jg.net/article/20090913/LOCAL0202/309139878 |archive-date=July 16, 2011 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.knoxviews.com/node/10971 |title=Is Mayor Haslam against illegal guns or not? |publisher=KnoxViews |access-date=September 15, 2009}}{{cite web|last=Slade |first=David |url=http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/sep/13/nra-targets-riley-affiliation/ |title=NRA targets Riley affiliation |work=Post and Courier |location=Charleston, South Carolina |date=September 13, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006124558/http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/sep/13/nra-targets-riley-affiliation |archive-date=6 October 2011 |url-status=dead}} In October 2009, NRA spokeswoman Rachel Parsons stated that "the coalition's participating mayors from both large and small cities dropped from 463 to less than 400" as a result of the NRA's letter-writing campaign. Mayor Bloomberg, however, has said that while 60 mayors have left the organization since the NRA's campaign was launched, another 110 mayors have joined.

Some of the NRA's criticism has included attacks on Bloomberg, MAIG's co-founder. In a cover story of their news magazine America's 1st Freedom, the NRA has described Mayor Bloomberg as "a billionaire, Boston-grown evangelist for the nanny state" who leads a "cabal".{{cite news |last=Cardwell |first=Diane |date=April 15, 2007 |title=N.R.A. Covers Bloomberg, and Results Aren't Pretty |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/nyregion/15nra.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=December 3, 2013 }} James O. E. Norell, contributing editor, said Bloomberg is "Beholden to nothing except his own ambitions, the mayor has established himself as a kind of national gun-control vigilante." The cover of the issue, according to The New York Times, depicts Bloomberg as a "giant octopus, looking fierce and slightly insane, with serpentine arms swirling behind him".

The NRA's web site lists 73 mayors that have quit the MAIG, including 15 in Pennsylvania, alone.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114369908 |title=Bloomberg's Mayoral Gun Group Losing Members |last=Venugopal |first=Arun |publisher=NPR |type=Transcript |date=November 1, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2013}}[http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_4163.shtml] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222024140/http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_4163.shtml|date=February 22, 2012}}{{cite web|last=Venugopal |first=Arun |url=http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/144874 |title=NRA Fights Back Against Bloomberg's Gun Control Coalition |publisher=WNYC |date=November 23, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2013}}{{cite web |last=Jardine |first=Jeff |url=http://www.modbee.com/local/story/857567.html |title=Jardine: NRA takes aim at mayor |publisher=Modbee.com |date=September 16, 2009 |type=Column |access-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091101120043/http://www.modbee.com/local/story/857567.html |archive-date=November 1, 2009 }}

Mayor Mary Wolf of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, said she resigned "because she thought [MAIG] was attempting to erode all gun ownership, not just illegal guns."{{cite web |url=http://www.nysun.com/new-york/fourth-mayor-quits-bloomberg-anti-gun-group/50547 |title=A Fourth Mayor Quits Bloomberg Anti-Gun Group |publisher=NYSun.com |date=March 15, 2007 |author= |access-date=August 16, 2013 |archive-date=January 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124010007/http://www.nysun.com/new-york/fourth-mayor-quits-bloomberg-anti-gun-group/50547/ |url-status=dead }} John Tkazik, mayor of Poughkeepsie, New York, who is a member of the NRA and a former member of MAIG resigned, saying he and 50 others also resigned because "MAIG became a vehicle for Bloomberg to promote his personal gun-control agenda - Violating the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens ... It did not take long to realize that MAIG's agenda was much more than ridding felons of illegal guns; that under the guise of helping mayors facing a crime and drug epidemic, MAIG intended to promote confiscation of guns from law-abiding citizens.{{cite news|last=Tkazyik|first=John|title=Valley View: Mayoral group's gun agenda is wrong|url=http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20140205/OPINION04/302050008/Valley-View-Mayoral-group-s-gun-agenda-wrong|access-date=February 10, 2014|newspaper=Poughkeepsie Journal|date=February 5, 2014|quote=under the guise of helping mayors facing a crime and drug epidemic, MAIG intended to promote confiscation of guns from law-abiding citizens}}

The NRA has said that MAIG has used mayor's names without permission or were otherwise misidentified.{{cite web|last=Blandford |first=Laurie K. |url=http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/oct/12/port-st-lucies-mayor-defends-membership-mayors-aga/ |title=Port St. Lucie's mayor defends membership in Mayors Against Illegal Guns group |publisher=TCPalm.com |location=Stuart, Florida |date=October 12, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://medinagazette.northcoastnow.com/2009/09/26/mayor-anti-gun-group-misused-my-name/ |title=Mayor: Anti-gun group misused my name |publisher=Medinagazette.northcoastnow.com |location=Medina, Ohio |date=September 26, 2009 |access-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-date=December 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205121155/http://medinagazette.northcoastnow.com/2009/09/26/mayor-anti-gun-group-misused-my-name/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |last=Folco |first=Marc |url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091011/SPORTS/910110374/-1/rss04 |title=Open Season: Legislation looks harmless, but MAIG presents mayor problem |publisher=SouthCoastToday.com |location=New Bedford, Massachusetts |date=October 11, 2009 |access-date=August 16, 2013 |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022135334/http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091011/SPORTS/910110374/-1/rss04 |url-status=dead }}

Following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on February 14, 2018, Everytown stated that the shooting was the 18th school shooting of the year,{{cite tweet|number=963886128829992961|user=Everytown|title=Our hearts are with all those impacted by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida... |date=February 14, 2018}} a statistic The Washington Post called "flat wrong".{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/no-there-havent-been-18-school-shooting-in-2018-that-number-is-flat-wrong/2018/02/15/65b6cf72-1264-11e8-8ea1-c1d91fcec3fe_story.html|title=No, there haven't been 18 school shootings in 2018. That number is flat wrong.|author1=Cox, John Woodrow|author2=Rich, Steven|date=February 15, 2018|access-date=February 19, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post}} The instance Everytown counted as the first school shooting of the year regarded a 31-year-old man's suicide in the parking lot of a Michigan school that had been closed for seven months.{{cite web|url=https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2018/01/04/potterville-man-died-self-inflicted-wound-after-hours-negotiation/1002904001/|title=Potterville man died from self-inflicted wound after hours of negotiation|author=LeBlanc, Beth|date=January 4, 2018|access-date=February 19, 2018|work=Lansing State Journal}} Another instance regarded a third-grader pressing the trigger on an officer's holstered weapon, where the firearm discharged to the floor. Everytown's basis for a school shooting is defined as "any time a firearm discharges a live round inside a school building or on a school campus or grounds".{{cite web|url=https://reason.com/blog/2018/02/16/there-havent-been-18-school-shootings|title=No, There Haven't Been 18 School Shootings This Year|author=Boehm, Eric|date=February 16, 2018|access-date=February 19, 2018|work=Reason}} USA Today reported that the "real number" of school shootings since January 1, 2018, was six.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/02/16/parkland-school-shooting-no-there-have-not-been-18-school-shootings-already-year-column/343100002/|title=No, there have not been 18 school shootings already this year|work=USA Today|author=Mastio, David|date=February 16, 2018|access-date=February 19, 2018}} By Time's standards, the number was four.{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5168272/how-many-school-shootings/|title=This Chart Shows the Number of School Shooting Victims Since Sandy Hook|author=Wilson, Chris|date=February 22, 2018|access-date=March 16, 2018|magazine=Time}}

The group's definition of a "school shooting" was also challenged in 2014 when Everytown claimed there had been 74 school shootings since Sandy Hook.{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/jun/13/everytown-gun-safety/have-there-been-74-school-shootings-sandy-hook-clo/|title=Have there been 74 school shootings since Sandy Hook? A closer look at a tricky statistic|author=Carroll, Lauren|date=June 13, 2014|access-date=February 19, 2018|work=PolitiFact}}

• March for Our Lives

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{official website|https://www.everytown.org}}
• [https://momsdemandaction.org/ Moms Demand Action website]

{{Gun politics interest groups in the United States}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Political organizations established in 2006

Category:Political organizations established in 2013

Category:2006 establishments in New York City

Category:2013 establishments in New York City

Category:Coalitions

Category:Gun control advocacy groups in the United States

Category:Michael Bloomberg