Media Contact: Georgia Seltzer, (202) 822-8200 x104, gseltzer@vpc.org
In this update, we look at a legal victory for Illinois’ 2023 assault weapons ban, VPC comments to the Commerce Department on gun exports, and an example of gun industry disregard for the victims of gun violence.
- In a victory in the ongoing battle to restrict assault weapons, on July 2nd the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the recently enacted Illinois assault weapons ban. The VPC worked with advocates in Illinois to pass the ban and helped ensure the new law would be effective.
- At the end of June, the VPC filed formal comments with the Department of Commerce on a new interim final rule to enhance oversight of firearms exports. The VPC has been working with a large coalition of human rights, arms control, and gun violence prevention organizations to reverse a Trump Administration action that transferred firearm export regulation from the State Department to Commerce. The new Commerce Department rule is a significant step in the right direction, although the VPC still supports returning oversight to the State Department. Read our full comments here.
- In just one more example of the gun industry’s appalling and callous attitude toward the victims of gun violence, the July cover of Firearms News promotes a new version of the MCX assault rifle from gunmaker Sig Sauer. This comes on the heels of the June 12 anniversary of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting where another version of the MCX was used to kill 49 people and wound 53 more.
