FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2023
Contact: Will Pregman, [email protected], 702.752.0656
Assembly Judiciary Committee Votes to Pass Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui’s Gun Safety Bills
Proponents Aim to Prohibit Firearms at Voting Locations and Clarify Ghost Gun Law Language from 81st Legislative Session
CARSON CITY, NV – Today, the Assembly Judiciary Committee held a work session on Assembly Bill AB354. The Committee voted to pass AB354 10-5. This measure seeks to prohibit firearms at polling locations, vote centers, ballot tabulation areas, and ballot drop-off locations in an effort to address issues seen in the 2022 Election with individuals carrying firearms in these areas. Additionally, the bill clarifies language that has been challenged in court for being vague concerning the ghost gun bill from the 81st Legislative Session. This language change makes the legislation in line with the recent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms language in their ruling on ghost guns. The Assembly Judiciary Committee also passed by the same margin, AB355, sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui, which prohibits the purchase of assault weapons for individuals younger than 21 years old.
“Elections are one of the key ways we continue to move our democracy forward and voters should never feel intimidated or fearful as they cast their ballot,” said Annette Magnus, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress. “We thank Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui for sponsoring AB354 which will prohibit guns within 100 feet of polling locations, vote centers, ballot drop-off locations, and ballot tabulation areas. This distance mirrors Nevada Electioneering Laws and it was provided through an amendment. This is a crucial step forward to protect future elections and make sure voters and election workers are not intimidated or fearful. As we have seen rising political violence over the past two years this bill was a natural step toward a safer future. We cannot continue allowing firearms at places where people vote or where ballots are counted. Firearms are prohibited in numerous other places including at the Legislative Building in Carson City. This is not a radical measure nor is it a law that will harm responsible gun owners. As a gun owner myself, I strongly support this measure because it is my belief that there is a time and place for firearms. That time and place do not include while people are voting. Additionally, this measure clarifies the language in Assembly Bill 286 which banned ghost guns in the 81st Legislative Session by correcting the language concerning the definition of a firearm. This language fix is in line with the ATF’s recent ghost gun rule and should alleviate the legal challenge to the law. A recent amendment to this portion of AB354 allows people with unserialized firearms to have more time to get them serialized, allows gun dealers to provide serialization services and restores the definition currently being considered by the Supreme Court and further clarifies the alternative definitions. Ghost guns are a significant problem, especially with Polymer80 in our backyard. Unserialized firearms make it easy for prohibited people to purchase guns and hide those purchases from law enforcement. This unsurprisingly has led to increases in violence and increases in ghost guns being found at crime scenes. We have tremendous respect for Assemblywoman Jauregui who is herself a gun violence survivor for bringing this measure forward and working diligently to pass legislation that will lower incidents of gun violence. She has truly turned her pain into action and we are grateful to work with her each session. Thank you to the Assembly Judiciary Committee for voting to pass AB354.
“Additionally we want to thank the Assembly Judiciary Committee for passing AB355 today and Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui for bringing this legislation forth. This bill will raise the purchase age of assault weapons to 21 years old and with an amendment it includes an exemption for members of the Armed Forces of the United States and law enforcement employed by a federal, state or local law enforcement agency. This is a commonsense gun violence prevention policy that will help reduce mass violence within our society and state. Research shows that the human brain continues to develop well past the age of 21, especially in areas that may alter a person’s likelihood of engaging in violent acts. We want to additionally thank all of our partners who testified in support of this bill during its hearing on Thursday, April 6th including Brady, Giffords, and Moms Demand Action. We sincerely hope that as this bill moves to the Assembly Floor, where it will succeed in passing.”
Brady President Kris Brown said:
“Today’s vote by the Assembly Judiciary Committee on AB354 and AB355 marks a critical step forward for gun safety in Nevada. By prohibiting firearms at polling locations and clarifying ghost gun laws, we’re sending a clear message: our democracy and our communities deserve to be protected from the threat of gun violence. I applaud Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui for her leadership on these bills, which will make Nevada a safer place to live, work, and vote.”
Agustin Cabrera, Giffords State Legislative Manager said:
“We applaud the House Judiciary Committee on successfully passing AB354 and AB355. These bills mark a significant and important step in the fight against gun violence by keeping firearms away from election sites, protecting the right to vote, and ensuring that those under the age of 21 don’t have access to firearms. Our appreciation also goes out to Assemblywoman Jauregui for introducing these life-saving pieces of draft legislation. Giffords remains steadfast in our commitment to work with Nevadans to ensure a safer state for all.”
“Today is an important step in the fight against gun violence in Nevada,” said Teresa Crawford, a volunteer with the Nevada chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Nevada has made tremendous strides in the fight against gun violence, yet there’s still work we must do. These bills not only protect democracy and make polling places safer for Nevadans, but address the growing, deadly problem of ghost guns. We look forward to working with our gun sense champions in both chambers to make these bills law.”
Emily Persaud-Zamora, Executive Director of Silver State Voices said:
“We thank Assemblywoman Jauregui for sponsoring AB354 and the Assembly Judiciary Committee for passing this bill out of committee. At Silver State Voices we believe that every eligible Nevadan should be able to cast their ballot in a safe and secure manner. Since the 2020 election, through our election protection program, we have received more questions from frightened Nevada voters on whether guns are permissible at polling locations. AB354 will ensure that every voter feels safe casting their ballot and that our poll workers are able to do their job without worrying about their safety.”
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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages, and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media. Learn more at https://battlebornprogress.org/.
