‘Moms Demand Action’ pushes lawmakers to take action on ghost guns, background checks

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    ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (WJZ) — A group of moms is leading the charge for getting untraceable guns off the streets, reforming police departments and making communities safer.

Thursday was Virtual Advocacy Day for “Moms Demand Action on Gun Sense in America.” The group is six million strong and represented in all 50 states. Its members met with lawmakers to bring about change.

Maryland Delegate Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) said step one will be pushing back after Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed a bill that would require background checks for the purchase of shotguns and rifles.

“We’re going to override Governor Hogan’s veto for HB4,” Clippinger said.

“Background checks are the most effective way to keep guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them,” volunteer Danielle Veith said.

The group isn’t stopping there. They want reform, transparency and accountability in police departments, especially after an officer fires their weapon in the line of duty.

“Police violence is gun violence,” Veith said.

She added the group wants all records of violent police incidents made public so families can have answers, closure and can ask further questions.

Darlene Cain’s 29-year-old son, Dale Graham, was shot and killed by Baltimore City Police in 2008. She said she never got answers as to what happened that night.

She said, in her son’s memory, she wants to see changes in police departments.

“Many people are not from our community, so they don’t get to understand,” she said.

Along with background checks, changes to police departments and more transparency, the group wants to eliminate “ghost” guns.

“Ghost guns are guns that are made by assembling parts, but they don’t have a serial number and they’re untraceable and used in many cases, in crimes,” Maryland Senator Susan Lee (D-Montgomery County) said.

Cain said in Maryland communities, ghost guns are taking lives.

“These are real people, real people are dying every day,” Cain said.

WJZ reached out to the governor’s office for a response to his veto of HB4 and the push to override it. We also asked about his thoughts on this group’s upcoming bills. We have not yet received a response.

There were more than 130 meetings held with lawmakers Thursday. The group said during the legislative session they will have advocates testifying on each of the bills they hope to pass.

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