San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Friday hosted a Gun Violence Reduction Summit, featuring a keynote address from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and four speaking panels.
At the conclusion, Lawson-Remer called for widespread support of Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s Right to Safety Amendment, which would preserve the 2nd Amendment and would “ensure the people’s elected representatives can determine what gun safety laws are appropriate for their communities and enshrine fundamental, broadly supported gun safety measures into law,” a statement from the Governor’s office read.
“In October I will bring a resolution for my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors to vote to support California’s pursuit of a 28th Amendment,” Lawson-Remer said.
“I challenge other counties and cities in California to support the governor’s Amendment. We need to do everything we can to put pressure on other states to join us in calling for a Constitutional Convention.”
Bonta underscored the significance of the county’s efforts in combating gun violence.
“There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023; gun violence is now the leading cause of death for American children,” Bonta said. “Enough has long-been enough. Gun safety laws work, and yet time and time again, they’ve been stopped or delayed from being implemented by the gun lobby and the politicians in their pockets.”
“Whether by seizing firearms from potentially dangerous individuals, taking the gun industry to court, or seeking a constitutional amendment, California is committed to ending gun violence and keeping our people safe,” Bonta said.
The Attorney General also praised San Diego County’s efforts to invest in violence intervention programs.
The four panels included Suicide Prevention, Community-Driven Peace Work, Protecting Children and Holding the Firearms Industry Accountable, with elected representatives, mental health experts and nonprofit leaders speaking at each one.
“We can’t get positive solutions to gun violence without proper dialogue, building trust, and forging meaningful, genuine relationships with our community,” said San Diego City Council President pro Tem Montgomery Steppe. “I look forward to working closely with our elected officials, community leaders and stakeholders to create a public safety ecosystem — a system of interconnected pieces interacting with one another.”
“We highlight those moving pieces of the structure that keep our communities safe and thriving,” she said.
Lawson-Remer said county efforts — such as making ghost guns illegal in the county, training county social workers to know the signs of potential gun violence in a home, requiring all firearms in unincorporated areas to be safely stored with a trigger lock, or using a container, and authorizing the county law department to join and pursue lawsuits against gun manufacturers — have made the region safer, but there is more to do.
“The outcome I hope we achieve from this summit is for our community to become better informed about what is being done to help keep their families and children safe,” she said. “I also want us to use this summit as a launch-pad for like-minded individuals to come together, and figure out how they can work together to protect more people in San Diego from gun violence.”
City News Service contributed to this article.