Saldaña Campaign Picks Up Brady Endorsement

Released by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:

The Brady Campaign and its network of California chapters Tuesday announced their endorsement of Lori Saldaña for election to Congress in California’s 52nd Congressional District. The primary will be held on June 5.

As a former California Assembly Member representing the San Diego area, Saldaña repeatedly proved her commitment to strong gun laws and to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people by earning a 100 percent voting record with the Brady Campaign.

In 2010, she showed her leadership on public safety issues by authoring legislation to ban the carrying of openly displayed handguns in public.

“Lori Saldaña saw the threat to law enforcement officers and to communities across California from people openly carrying their handguns in coffee shops, restaurants and other public places,” said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “She stood up to the gun lobby and their dangerous vision of America.”

Saldaña also became the first California candidate to sign Brady’s Statement of Principle Against Arming Dangerous People. The statement was unveiled last week when 32 victims and survivors held a press conference on Capitol Hill urging Congress to take action to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and to reject U.S. Senate bills that the Brady Campaign has dubbed the George Zimmerman Armed Vigilante Acts.

Brady’s Statement of Principle Against Arming Dangerous People reads:

I believe that these people should not be able to buy, own or carry a gun anywhere in our nation:

• Convicted felons

• Convicted domestic abusers

• Terrorists

• People found to be dangerously mentally ill.

“We are thrilled to endorse Lori Saldaña and we think she’ll make a great member of Congress,” said Dallas Stout, president of the California Brady Chapters. “In the state legislature, she was a real champion on our issue. She stood up for our communities and for the victims and survivors of gun violence.”

Saldaña’s opponent, Rep. Brian Bilbray, repeatedly has voted in lock-step with the NRA and has earned an “A” rating from the group. Last fall, over the strong objections of the California Police Chiefs Association, Rep. Bilbray co-sponsored and voted for HR 822, referred to by the Brady Campaign as the George Zimmerman Armed Vigilante Act.

If enacted, HR 822 would force states to let thousands of dangerous people like Trayvon Martin’s shooter, George Zimmerman, carry loaded, hidden handguns from Times Square to Topeka, from Maine to California. It would allow tens of thousands of concealed carry permit holders, including many with violent backgrounds similar to Zimmerman’s, to take their guns and their “shoot first, ask questions later” mentality just about anywhere they go.

Currently, California does not allow anyone from other states to carry loaded, hidden guns on California streets.

“Rep. Bilbray should be ashamed of himself for voting to nullify California’s strong gun laws and allow armed and dangerous people to carry guns in California communities,” said Gross. “He should have listened to the police chiefs throughout his state.  Instead he chose to subscribe to the gun lobby’s dangerous and paranoid vision that you need to be armed to the teeth wherever you go.”

The Brady Campaign is the nation's largest citizen's lobby to prevent gun violence.