Marin Moms Step Up

Allowing guns in schools does not create a safer environment for students or teachers, statistically it actually increases the risk of unintentional shootings and can escalate everyday conflicts into deadly ones. Marin Moms Demand Action volunteers are committed to ending gun violence and that’s why the group was dedicated to passing AB 424, which will close a dangerous loophole allowing school districts to authorize teachers or staff to bring a gun into a school. 

Marin Moms were part of a coalition that introduced the bill at a press conference alongside Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy in February, then with greater numbers headed back to Sacramento in March to fill the Capitol’s chambers and deliver a clear message – “We don't want guns in schools. We want our kids learning to read and write, not to duck and cover,” said Jen Nassiri, a Marin volunteer with Moms Demand Action. On that same day the bill received approval through the chambers. “We went against Goliath (The NRA) that morning and WON!,” stated Nassiri.

For a few months leading up to the Governor’s decision to either sign or veto AB424, Moms Demand Action volunteers drove over 6,000 signatures and more than 100 calls into Governor Brown’s office encouraging him to sign AB424 into law. While the bill took some time to get signed, on October 14, the team rejoiced. Brown signed AB424 and it will go into effect in January 2018.

The positive win was a much-needed boost here in Marin, where many are upset about the tragic fires affecting our northern neighbors, the Vegas shooting which is the largest mass shooting in our country, and the general political climate.

And, even though a large majority of Americans agree with the efforts of Moms Demand Action, and support for common sense gun legislation is at an all-time high, our laws reflect the extreme positions of a small number of well-funded gun industry lobbyists. These Marin Moms believe they are on the right side of history, and when they come together as a community and take action, they win. These Moms will never back down on pushing for safer gun laws. They feel it’s too dangerous NOT to take action.