The 2012 Sandy Hook shooting changed everything for me. Before that day, I never once worried about my children’s safety at school.

Today, an entire generation of children are accustomed to practicing lockdown drills, hiding in classrooms, quiet as mice, while teachers blink back tears and pretend nothing is wrong. It’s a world where a reporter and cameraman are shot dead on live tv, and a world where innocent people worshiping are shot and killed at church or in a synagogue, and where people simply shopping for groceries or attending a parade can be gunned down.

After Sandy Hook, I woke up to a world in which I needed to be involved and part of the solution - to make changes to keep my family and community safe from gun violence. As a volunteer and a leader with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense In America for nearly ten years, I had the opportunity to work on many legislative initiatives.

This work gave me a front-row seat to the law-making process. I have attended countless hours of hearings and have watched politics play out. I have met with lawmakers and advocates, testified and learned to build effective coalitions to make Rhode Island safer.  

We still have work to do. Gun violence disproportionately affects black and brown-skinned Rhode Islanders and is the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. I am hopeful that we can build on our progress.

Below is a summary of Rhode Island’s gun safety legislation during my tenure as a Moms Demand Action leader:

• Our first win was in 2017, passing a domestic violence gun bill after over 3 years of advocacy.

• In 2018, the Parkland mass shooting spurred lawmakers to act. Breaking with the NRA, leadership in both chambers sponsored the bill and fast-tracked it in record time - about 4 months.

• In 2020, the pandemic caused a surge of firearms purchases in Rhode Island and nationwide. Governor Raimondo signed a law to regulate homemade ghost guns. It was the first bill she signed after the pandemic lockdown.

• In 2021, Governor McKee signed legislation banning 'straw purchases' of firearms, and prohibiting anyone, with certain exceptions, from bringing a firearm onto school grounds.

• In 2022, Governor McKee signed 3 more life saving gun safety bills into law:

  • A high capacity magazine limit

  • A law to raise the age to buy a long gun from 18 to 21, and

  • A law to prohibit open carry of long guns