Press Releases
Press releases are archived according to their release date. For press releases by topic, please see the Issue Positions page.
Mar 19 2018
Parkland Victim Families Write to Support Hatch STOP School Violence Act, Background Check Legislation
Washington, DC— Families of 13 victims from last month’s horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida joined together today to write to Congressional Leaders in support of two proposals fromSenator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the senior Republican in the United States Senate.
The families wrote in support of Senator Hatch’s STOP School Violence Act:
At the Federal level, the STOP School Violence Act is a first step in a long journey to improve the safety of our children and teachers at school. This Act will make schools safer by funding the creation of and providing training for Threat Assessment Teams (TATs), teachers and students. It also includes security measures and provides for the creation of anonymous reporting systems. All of which will help make schools safer.
They also expressed support for the Fix NICS Act, a bipartisan proposal that Senator Hatch helped author to close holes in the background check system.
The Fix NICS Act is desperately needed to improve compliance with firearms purchasing background check systems which are already in place. These are systems that all US citizens rely on to keep firearms away from those that should not be allowed to purchase them.
Ryan Petty, the father of Parkland victim Alaina Petty, signed the letter. Petty also joined Senator Hatch last week for a press conference on the STOP School Violence Act. You can find video ofthe press conference here.
The full letter, as delivered to congressional leaders, is below:
The Honorable Senator Mitch McConnell
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
The Honorable Senator Chuck Schumer
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
The Honorable Representative Paul Ryan
H-232, The US Capitol?
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Representative Nancy Pelosi
H-204, The US Capitol?
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Senators McConnell & Schumer, Representatives Ryan & Pelosi,
We are the families of the victims killed in the tragedy in Parkland, FL on February 14, 2018. We strongly urge you to support the inclusion of the STOP School Violence Act and the Fix NICS ACT in the upcoming Omnibus spending bill to be debated and ultimately voted on in both chambers.
At the Federal level the STOP School Violence Act is a first step in a long journey to improve the safety of our children and teachers at school. This Act will make schools safer by funding the creation of and providing training for Threat Assessment Teams (TATs), teachers and students. It also includes security measures and provides for the creation of anonymous reporting systems. All of which will help make schools safer.
The Fix NICS Act is desperately needed to improve compliance with firearms purchasing background check systems which are already in place. These are systems that all US citizens rely on to keep firearms away from those that should not be allowed to purchase them.
Frankly, much more needs to be done to prevent mass murder from ever again occurring at any school. This issue cannot wait. The moment to consider these key pieces of legislation is now.
We must be the last families to suffer the loss of a loved one due to a mass shooting at a school. We demand more action to keep our schools safe.
This Time Must Be Different!
Respectfully,
Lori Alhadeff, Max Schachter, Ryan & Kelly Petty, Fred & Jennifer Guttenberg, Mitch & Annika Dworet, Jennifer and Tony Montalto, Andrew Pollack, Philip & April Schentrup, Linda Biegel Schulman, Tom and Geena Hoyer, Vincent and Anne Ramsay, Debbi Hixon, and Melissa Feis
