Dear PPGV Friends and Colleagues,
Exciting new things are happening with gun violence prevention efforts in Michigan! As some of you may know, a new group has formed called End Gun Violence Michigan (EGVM) whose goal is to advocate for sensible gun safety legislation. If efforts to pass laws prove to be unsuccessful, then the group will consider whether a gun safety ballot initiative for the 2024 election is a realistic path forward. EGVM is putting together a wide coalition of groups and individuals from across the state who are passionate about making Michigan a safer place to live. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Jim Peggs who has agreed to represent PPGV in this endeavor moving forward. It is critical that medical and public health professionals have a voice in the effort to end gun violence in our state. Thank you, Dr. Peggs!
End Gun Violence Michigan is planning a Lobby Day on Wednesday, April 13th to advocate for the passage of gun safety legislation that a Michigan State legislature task force has been discussing. It is critical that our representatives know how strongly we support measures such as safe storage of firearms, universal background checks, and prohibiting guns in government buildings.
PLEASE REGISTER TODAY TO ATTEND LOBBY DAY TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!!!
While in-person attendance at meetings with legislators is an incredibly powerful experience, it is understood that this is not feasible for everyone. If you are unable to participate in lobby visits in person, there will also be an opportunity to attend meetings via Zoom. If you’ve never participated in a lobby visit before, don’t worry. There will be a virtual training on Thursday, April 7th.
The push to pass sensible firearms legislation is an important step in our advocacy efforts, as we want to make sure we have exhausted all options in moving things forward. If the legislature does not choose to act, then the next step will be to give serious consideration to creating a ballot proposal.
As always, thank you for your dedication to the prevention of gun violence. We know there are many steps we can take to reduce preventable firearms-related deaths and injuries in our state. While no one law or intervention in itself will solve the problem of gun violence, approaching the issue from a variety of angles with unceasing determination will enable us to make important progress in keeping our patients and our communities safe.
Sincerely,
Sonya Lewis, MD, MPH, PPGV Vice President
Jerry Walden, MD, PPGV President
On behalf of the PPGV Board of Directors