Pillar #2: advocate.
joining together and speaking up to spark change.
In collaboration with our partner organizations and local legislators, we aim to support common sense laws and policies that make it more difficult for individuals experiencing mental health crises to access guns - particularly assault weapons. This includes efforts to mandate the training necessary to operationalize the laws we fought hard to enact. It is, indeed, common sense.
Retain due process. Follow the law. Allow responsible gun owners to retain their rights but protect us all from those who don’t have the capacity to prioritize safety.
Our 2026 Legislative Priorities
mandate training.
Laws can’t be implemented if those responsible for their implementation aren’t properly trained. In Albemarle County, training on the Red Flag Law (or ESROs/ERPOs) was offered, at no cost, months prior to the February 17th shooting. The offer was declined. In the months that followed, the gunman was allowed to retain his assault weapons during a period of mental crisis despite pleas from his family to remove them. We’re very thankful to have Albemarle County Police Department now collaborate with our partner trainers. However, to avoid similar tragedies in the future, we need training on this law to be mandated for ALL law enforcement, magistrates, commonwealths attorneys, and judges.
expand the definition of petitioner.
In Virginia, only law enforcement officers, magistrates and attorneys can petition for an Emergency Substantial Risk Order (ESRO/ERPO) to temporarily prevent individuals who pose a significant risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms. Yet most of the time, only family/household members, teachers, and health care providers have observed the concerning behaviors that may warrant an order. This creates additional and unnecessary barriers to implementation. We want the law to be amended to include those “experts” (family/household members, clinicians, social service providers) in the petitioning process. Other states are leading the charge. Virginians deserve the same rights.
ban assault rifles.
Assault rifles and high capacity magazines are designed to inflict the most damage possible in the shortest amount of time. To prevent access to these weapons, a federal law prohibiting semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines was in place from 1994 to 2004. Even though research shows that this regulation reduced the likelihood of mass shooting fatalities by 70%, this federal law has not been renewed since 2004 (NIH Study 2024). Since the ban expired, mass shootings involving 6 or more deaths has increased by 347% (Bradyunited.org). Enough is enough. The law needs to be reinstated.
