MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR NEW FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO CLOSE THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE

Also announces re-launch of ProtectPolice.org, part of continued effort to remove the Tiahrt Amendments from the federal budget

The bi-partisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns announced their support for legislation closing the so-called gun show loophole which was reintroduced in Congress today by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). The loophole allows unlicensed sellers at gun shows to sell weapons without conducting a background check of the purchaser. The introduction of the legislation coincides with the anniversary of the Columbine shooting, where three of the four guns used in the massacre were acquired at gun shows with no background checks. Mayors Against Illegal Guns also announced the re-launch of www.protectpolice.org, a coalition website dedicated to repealing the Tiahrt Amendments, a federal appropriations rider that restricts law enforcement's ability to access crucial gun trace data and other information about illegal gun trafficking. The new website features a new tool that allows the public to send letters to Congress asking that the Amendments be repealed.

"As we remember the tragic events at Columbine and the constant, unheralded tragedy of the 34 Americans who are gunned down each day, we are reminded of the pressing need to take common sense steps to protect innocent lives and keep illegal guns out of the hand of criminals," said coalition co-chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "It shouldn't be easier for a criminal to buy a gun at a gun show than it is for a law-abiding citizen to rent a car, and the federal budget shouldn't tie the hands of law enforcement by restricting access to trace data. Both problems can and should be solved in Washington this year."

"We have witnessed the deadly impact that illegal guns have on innocent victims, and we share a common responsibility to combat the problem of illegal gun trafficking," said coalition co-chair and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Instituting more rigorous background checks for gun buyers along with creating tools that allow police officers on the front lines access to critical trace data are two immediate, common-sense steps that we must take to reduce the potential for senseless gun violence."

The legislation introduced by Senator Lautenberg today would ensure that all guns sold at gun shows would be subject to background checks. Under the provision, which would apply to events where 50 or more firearms are offered for sale, background checks would be required at guns show, flea markets and swap meets. Gun show promoters would also have to register with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). All transactions at gun shows would have to go through a federally firearms license holder who would be responsible for conducting a background check. Representatives Mike Castle (R-DE) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) announced their intention to introduce similar legislation to close the gun show loophole in the House of Representatives this week.

A study released in December 2008 by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition showed that states that have yet to close the gun show loophole are sources of guns used in crimes in other states at more than twice the rate of the nine states that require background checks for all sales at gun shows. Moreover, a bi-partisan poll commissioned by Mayors Against Illegal Guns in April 2008 showed that 87 percent of Americans and 83 percent of gun-owners support requiring background checks for all gun sales at gun shows.

The Tiahrt Amendments, named for their original sponsor, U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), are provisions attached to federal spending bills that make it harder for law enforcement officers to aggressively pursue criminals who buy and sell illegal guns. The Amendments, a version of which has been inserted into the Department of Justice appropriations bill each year since Fiscal Year 2003, place broad restrictions on the ability of law enforcement to access critical data about illegal guns. The Amendments restrict cities, states and even the law enforcement from fully accessing and using ATF crime gun trace data, require the Federal Bureau of Investigation to destroy certain background check records within 24 hours, and block ATF from requiring gun dealers to conduct inventory checks to detect loss and theft.

Efforts to remove the Tiahrt Amendments from the budget have wide support from law enforcement. Ten national law police organizations - including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, and Major Cities Chiefs Association - and 23 state and regional law enforcement organizations, including the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police and the Texas Association of Chiefs of Police have all joined the Mayors' call for the removal of the Tiahrt Amendments. For more information on the Tiahrt Amendment visit: www.protectpolice.org.