HAPPY NEW YEAR, CONSORTIUM MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE CONSORTIUM,

Founded in 2013, the Consortium is dedicated to the advancement of risk-based firearm policy. As our final newsletter of the decade, we thought this was a good opportunity to take a look at some of the Consortium’s accomplishments:

• The Consortium developed and advanced extreme risk laws, now law in 17 states and DC. Consortium members are involved in advocating for and studying extreme risk laws at every step, including in the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and Speak for Safety implementation projects. As we enter 2020, nearly half of all Americans have access to an extreme risk law and more are poised to gain access as lawmakers consider this policy in upcoming legislative sessions across the country.
• The Consortium issued state and federal policy recommendations involving risk-based firearm prohibitors and a report on firearms removal and retrieval in cases of domestic violence, which led to the Ed Fund’s collaborative project, Disarm Domestic Violence. Consortium members are regularly featured in national media to educate about these and other policies.
• The Consortium cultivated the field of lethal means safety counseling, which is gaining traction nationwide, including via the BulletPoints Project led by Consortium member Amy Barnhorst. This work also inspired the recent development of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) worksheets and handouts on firearm safety counseling; email Lauren Lovato Jackson to sign up for their release in early 2020.

The Consortium’s contributions extend beyond policy recommendations. Broader impacts include:

• The Consortium’s research translation and policy advocacy model set an example for evidence-based firearm policy: Just this month, Consortium Managing Director Vicka Chaplin presented on this model as part of a webinar hosted by the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR).
• Consortium convenings introduced new colleagues, fostered multidisciplinary collaborations, and inspired new research: The products of these partnerships are found every month in this newsletter’s research recap (below).
• The gun violence prevention movement embraced the public health approach championed by the Consortium: New stakeholder groups are involved and advocates and lawmakers alike reference research conducted by our members and contributors. Indeed, the field of gun violence prevention research is growing and will continue to grow with this month’s historic government spending deal that includes $25 million dedicated for gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Our sincere thanks to the many of you who lent your voices to the advocacy for this funding, this year and throughout the preceding decades.

More news this month:

• On December 2nd, the Supreme Court heard its first major gun rights case in a decade. The New York State Rifle and Pistol Association challenged a New York City law that prevented persons holding firearm premises licenses from transporting a locked and unloaded handgun from one residence to another and to shooting ranges competitions outside city limits, asserting that the law violated the Second Amendment, the commerce clause, and the constitutional right to travel. New York City amended its regulations to allow such transportation of locked and unloaded handguns by holders of premises licenses between the above specified locations and New York State passed a law preventing the City from reenacting its regulation. Much of the December 2 oral argument before the Supreme Court revolved around whether the case was moot and should be dismissed. See the Duke Center for Firearms Law’s annotated transcript of the hearing and related discussion, Why Regulate Guns?, for more insights.
• Consortium Executive Director Josh Horwitz and Consortium contributor David Chipman co-authored a new article on intentional firearm microstamping technology in Police Chief magazine. This promising technology has the potential to disrupt cycles of violence, enhance community-police relations, and ultimately prevent gun violence.
• To wrap up the year, The Trace compiled 13 Statistics That Help Explain Gun Violence in 2019, citing research and news informed by various Consortium members.

We are grateful for the many contributions of our members, partners, and supporters. As we enter a new decade, we look forward to continuing to work together to advance the field of risk-based firearm policy. From all of us at the Consortium, Happy New Year!