Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing On Protecting Women From Gun Violence
By Penny Okamoto, Executive Director of Ceasefire Oregon
On Wednesday, July 30th, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on protecting women from gun violence. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) presided over the hearing and noted that American women are 11 times more likely to be killed with guns than women in any other industrialized country. And when a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, it greatly increases the chance that a woman will be murdered.
Protecting women from domestic violence should not be a partisan issue. Current law prohibits domestic abusers from owning guns only if they were married to their victims or lived with their victims. Dating partners convicted of domestic violence offenses are not prevented from owning guns. Closing this loophole and passing universal background checks on gun sales would save lives.
Watch the hearing here: http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/vawa-next-steps-protecting-wome…