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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN
WHEREAS, across the nation between January 1, 2021, and April 26, 2021, there have been 160 shootings in which four or more people were injured or killed; and
WHEREAS, this is a steep increase from the 90 shootings from the same time period in 2020, and nearly double the average for the same time period every year since 2014; and
WHEREAS, while there is not a federal definition of a “mass shooting,” the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group, defines it as a shooting incident in which four or more people are injured or killed, excluding the shooter; and
WHEREAS, the focus on high-profile mass shootings often obscures the overall rise incidents of gun violence including personal disputes and domestic violence occurrences; and
WHEREAS, the rise in shootings corresponds with the increase in gun sales in the United States since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the need for common sense gun laws was, is, and continues to be abundantly apparent; and
WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to investing in evidence-based community violence interventions, including a $5 billion investment in the American Jobs Plan to support community violence intervention programs and connecting individuals to jobs and opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the Biden-Harris Administration is working to address the proliferation of gun violence in our communities, and announced six initial actions to address the gun violence health epidemic; and
WHEREAS, as a first action, David Chipman will be nominated by President Bident to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), the key agency in enforcing gun laws; and
WHEREAS, the ATF, the agency responsible for investigating and tracing the illegal use and trafficking of guns, has not had a confirmed director since 2015; and
WHEREAS, as a second action, the Biden-Harris Administration directed the Justice Department to issue a rule to stop the spread of “ghost guns,” unregistered, untraceable, illegal, homemade firearms; and
WHEREAS, any individual can create a “ghost gun” by purchasing a kit online that includes components and directions for building a firearm in as little as 30 minutes; and
WHEREAS, “ghost guns” currently do not require a background check to purchase and often cannot be traced by law enforcement due to the lack of a serial number; and
WHEREAS, as a fourth action the Justice Department will also issue a rule on the purchase and use of a stabilizing brace turning a pistol into a short-barreled rifle, which is alleged to have been used in the March 22 Boulder grocery store shooting, to make such braces subject to the requirements of the National Firearms Act; and
WHEREAS, as a fifth action, the Justice Department has additionally been directed to publish model “red flag” legislation for states that will allow family members or law enforcement to petition for a court order to temporarily confiscate firearms if they present a danger to themselves or others; and
WHEREAS, as a sixth action, the Biden-Harris Administration directed the Justice Department to issue an annual report of firearms trafficking, a report that has not been published since 2000; and
WHEREAS, this federal firearms trace report will provide updated and reliable data and statistics to continue combating the trafficking of guns across state lines; and
WHEREAS, these initiatives provide a solid foundation for common sense gun laws to follow; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby support the Biden-Harris Administration’s initial actions to address gun violence as a public health epidemic; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy be tendered to the Office of the President of the United States as a display of Cook County’s unwavering dedication to gun violence prevention in the United States.
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