State Lawmakers Launch Gun Control Coalition

State lawmakers have launched a nationwide non-partisan coalition to combat gun violence, in part because the Congress has failed to reform gun laws, members of the group said on Monday.

 

Some 200 lawmakers from 50 states have joined the alliance, American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention, said the group's founder, Democratic New York State Assembly member Brian Kavanagh.

 

Kavanagh told a news conference the group would focus on state-level gun control reforms, including the prevention of interstate gun trafficking and tightening background checks on buyers.

 

Congress has "failed in its responsibility" to prevent gun violence, said Jose Rodriguez, a Democratic state senator from Texas.