[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 14 (Thursday, February 10, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1257-S1258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    GRADING THE STATES ON GUN SAFETY

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, last month the Brady Campaign to 
Prevent Gun Violence, in partnership with the Million Mom March and a 
number of State gun safety groups, released its 8th Annual Report Card 
on State Gun Laws Protecting Children. I applaud the efforts of these 
organizations to keep the pressure on State and local legislators to 
enact sensible gun safety legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to 
review this report.
  The Brady Campaign report assigns individual States a grade of A 
through F on seven types of laws that protect children from gun 
violence. ``Extra credit'' and ``demerits'' were also assigned for 
other State gun safety laws.

[[Page S1258]]

The Brady Campaign includes in its analysis such questions as: Is it 
illegal for a child to possess a gun without supervision? Is it illegal 
to sell a gun to a child? Are gun owners held responsible for leaving 
loaded guns easily accessible to children? Are guns required to have 
child-safety locks, loaded-chamber indicators and other childproof 
designs? Do cities and counties have authority to enact local gun 
safety laws? Are background checks required at gun shows? And, is it 
legal to carry concealed handguns in public?
  Children around the country continue to be at great risk from gun 
violence. This year, the Brady Campaign awarded only six States an A 
rating in their report. Unfortunately, 31 States received grades of D 
or F. Only one State improved its grade from last year, while two 
others took actions that will make communities less safe from the 
threat of gun violence. However, I was encouraged that the number of 
``extra credit Sensible Safety Stars'' for protecting children from gun 
violence more than doubled to 21, and that the number of ``Time-Out 
Chair demerits'' assigned for weakening State gun laws was cut from ten 
to six.
  While some States have taken positive steps on the issue of gun 
safety in the last year, more than half are still receiving failing 
grades from the Brady Campaign. By passing legislation that reduces 
child firearm deaths, Congress can help to improve the grades of these 
States. I urge my colleagues to take up and pass common sense gun 
safety legislation that will close the gun show loophole, reauthorize 
the 1994 assault weapons ban, and improve child gun access prevention 
laws.

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