WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington State Representative Liz Berry (D-Queen Anne) will join senior White House officials and other state leaders who share her belief that we can end gun violence in America at the White House Legislative Convening on Gun Violence Prevention. Since taking office in 2021, Rep. Berry has been a driving force behind common sense legislation aimed at making Washingtonians safer from gun violence.
For Rep. Berry, ending gun violence is personal. In 2011, her former boss and mentor U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in an attempt on her life at a constituent event. The attack killed six people, including her friend and colleague, Gabe Zimmerman who is first congressional staffer to be killed in the line of duty.
“I am one of the 58% of Americans who have experienced gun violence or know someone who has been impacted,” said Rep. Berry. “Watching Gabby fight for her recovery has taught me about resilience, hard work and grit. I have been determined to be a champion for enacting gun violence prevention policies in the legislature and we’ve delivered – but we’re not done yet.”
Since 2021, the Washington State Legislature has passed Rep. Berry’s bills to ban untraceable, homemade ‘ghost guns’ and implement a 10-day waiting period and safety training for all firearm purchases as well as other critical measures to ban the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; prohibit open carry at the state Capitol, public demonstrations, local government meetings and election-related facilities; and hold gun manufacturers accountable for the destruction they cause.
Rep. Berry has pre-filed the following bills for the 2024 legislation session:
- HB 1902 would require a permit to purchase a firearm valid for 5-years, including fingerprinting by law enforcement; and
- HB 1903 would mandate 24-hour reporting of a lost or stolen firearm. This bill comes in response to a report that the largest source of stolen guns is from parked cars.
“Gun violence is now the leading cause of death among children in this country,” said Rep. Berry. “As a mom of two young kids, I’m determined to make change. I’m honored to join so many like-minded leaders at the White House who believe gun violence is preventable and are fighting to keep our communities safe.”
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