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MFOL has passed 300+ gun safety laws since our founding.
In the five years since March For Our Lives’ founding, gun violence has transformed from a third-rail issue to an issue politicians can’t ignore. It was once unheard of for lawmakers to touch such a deep-rooted American trait like guns, using our lives as political pawns in their game to stay in power after the next election. We said, “Enough is enough,” and DEMANDED action.
March For Our Lives has championed gun violence prevention legislation at all levels of the government to save lives and create a better, safer future. Our mission calls for something more bold and transformative than gun control alone. We call for a world that is re-imagined: a world where oppressive power structures are abandoned, and community is embraced. Band-aid solutions alone won’t get us there, which is why we fight for legislation that addresses the root causes of gun violence.
Every day without gun violence prevention laws is another day people die at the pull of a trigger. Young people refuse to die waiting for lawmakers to take action. So we put matters into our own hands and bring our fight to Congress. In just five years, we’ve passed over 300 gun safety laws, and we’re just getting started.
300+
Gun safety laws passed in the last six years
40+
NRA cronies kicked out of Congress
young people are winning
They told us we couldn’t make change, but we proved the wrong. We’re a movement committed to saving lives and we couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve done as a movement. Here are just a few of the highlights of what young people have won in the last few years.
Following the horrific shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, MFOL flooded the Capitol with 70+ lobby meetings, and hundreds of thousands took to the streets across the country once again. Just a day after we marched, Senator Chris Murphy announced a bipartisan gun reform package with the support of 10 Republicans, and just weeks later, we passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first federal gun safety law in nearly 30 years.
This historic package invested in community violence intervention programs, children and family mental health services, addressed gun trafficking, partially closed the “dating partner” loophole, enhanced background checks for ages 18 to 21, and more. This legislation was the floor and not the ceiling, but it’s a much-needed start, and it has already saved lives.
“Young people protested, organized, voted, ran for office, and yes, Marched For Their Lives” – President Biden
In September 2023, after years of concerted pressure and advocacy from March For Our Lives members, President Biden created the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. MFOL was the first national gun violence prevention group to voice our demand and what was then believed to be too bold. Four years since our first call for its creation, our ask was finally answered. The office marshals a holistic government approach to preventing gun violence. With a cohesive strategy, a senior leader in the White House and the ear of the President, the Office can help unlock the cumulative power of the government to help save our lives. This office isn’t just a victory—it’s a tipping point that goes to show we are making clear and significant progress in our fight. This is a monumental moment for March For Our Lives, every young person who’s hidden under a desk during a lockdown drill, and every parent who’s lost a child at the hands of a gun.
A year after the shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan, some of the very same young people who survived the shooting at their high school went on to survive their second school shooting at Michigan State University (MSU) in February. In the wake of tragedy, MSU students jumped into action to support their community and advocate for gun safety. The MFOL chapter on MSU’s campus held a vigil with 5,000 students and faculty to honor the lives lost. With the support of the MFOL team, students hosted several protests at the Michigan Capitol to demand action.
And it worked: In April, with MFOL activists by her side, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law the first gun safety package in Michigan in 40 years, including safe storage, universal background checks, and extreme risk protection orders. It’s clear that without the continued pressure from MFOL and Oxford and MSU survivors, this would not have happened.
The Illinois State Legislature passed the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which includes a ban on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, rapid-fire “switches,” increases Firearm Restraining Orders from 6 months to a year, and addresses illegal gun trafficking. March For Our Lives organizers in Illinois joined over 100 gun safety advocates to pressure the legislature to act urgently and quickly to save lives. Chilling testimony from gun violence survivors portrayed precisely what’s at stake: our lives and the lives of young people. We’re pleased to see that legislators listened and put the safety of their constituents first.
This landmark legislation will reduce suicide, domestic violence, and daily gun violence from devastating communities. Illinois will be placed among eight other states and D.C. with some form of an assault weapon ban. While we wish the bill had tighter limits, like closing the domestic gun violence loophole, we’re pleased to see Governor Pritzker sign the bill.
In September 2023, just days after Biden created the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, California Governor Gavin Newsom joined the sweeping wins for young people by signing into law two life-saving bills to aid in the fight to end gun violence.
AB 28 provides a consistent funding source for evidence-based gun violence prevention programs, like community violence intervention programs, to the tune of $160 million a year. This bill holds the gun industry accountable for the damage they cause instead of making taxpayers clean up yet another one of their messes. SB 2 strengthens state laws to ensure a high standard of safety and responsibility for gun owners, adding safer restrictions to concealed carry in the state of California.
A month prior, MFOL hosted a lobby day with students and activists at the California State Capitol to push for these bills. From rallying to consistent and lengthy lobbying and conversations with legislators, March For Our Lives and youth activists all over the state helped make this possible.
