Gun Safety Laws: Arizona Gets 'F' Grade From Giffords Law Center

ARIZONA — Arizona's gun safety laws are some of the weakest and most allowing in the nation, according to a new report from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

The center, co-founded by former U.S. Sen. Gabby Giffords of Tucson, gave her home state of Arizona an "F" grade for its gun safety laws in the Center's Annual Gun Law Scorecard. In 2019, the most recent year for which data was available, 1,136 people died from gun violence in Arizona, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And those numbers have likely increased, since from 2019 to 2020, the gun-related homicide rate rose 46 percent, the Giffords Law Center said.

In April 2021, Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law a bill that made it illegal for state and local governments to enforce federal laws that are, "inconsistent with any law of this state regarding the regulation of firearms.''

Backers said the law would ensure that the rights of gun owners were protected from what they said was a potential for overreach by President Joe Biden’s administration, the Associated Press reported.

In its new report, the Giffords Law Center ranked Arizona No. 42 out of 50 states for gun safety.

“2021 was yet another year of crisis for our country," said Robyn Thomas, executive director of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "Too many communities had to reckon with the trauma and pain of surging gun violence, armed hate, and racial discrimination—all in the midst of the ongoing pandemic."

The Giffords Law Center suggested Arizona take up the following gun control measures:

• Require background checks for all gun sales
• Strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence and hate crimes
• Enact an extreme risk protection order law

“What our Scorecard shows, year after year is that it is possible to take action to end this senseless violence," Thomas said. "States with strong gun safety laws have fewer gun deaths — but illegal trafficking leaves residents of these states vulnerable. This progress must extend to every single state across the nation. We hope the Gun Law Scorecard will continue to serve as a resource for our elected officials who understand that getting a passing grade can be a matter of life and death."

The mission of the Giffords Law Center is to end gun violence. On Jan. 8, 2011, then-Sen. Gabby Giffords was shot in the head during a constituent event in Tucson. Six people were killed in the shooting and 12 others were injured. A year later Giffords was forced to step down from her position as a lawmaker because of her injuries. After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2013, the former lawmaker co-founded Giffords, which aims to champion gun safety laws across the country.