Senator Vernon Sykes' Statement On Gun Violence
“After the gruesome act of violence against innocent school children in Florida this past week, leaders in Columbus must act – enough is enough.
“That is why I have co-sponsored a bill introduced by my colleagues Senator Skindell and Senator Tavares to ban assault weapons in the state of Ohio and why I have co-sponsored Senator Thomas’ bill to ban bump stocks. These bills are a crucial first step to improving public safety. My colleagues and I are serious about addressing the gun violence epidemic that is plaguing our country and schools.
“My hope is these pieces of legislation will inspire a more common sense approach to firearm safety and violence prevention. Gun violence is not a single-subject issue, legislation addressing mental illness, reporting to law enforcement and school safety can all help solve this complex issue, and I am eager to start working on concrete reforms.
“We will never be able to stop all gun violence. As a free society, there will always be avenues for people seeking to do violence, but it is imperative we take measurable action to deter these senseless atrocities. The available data shows that responsible gun laws limit gun violence, but we still need more access to information so we can get a better grasp of the cause of this problem. We urge Congress to allow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to study gun violence like every other public health issue.”