December Update: Gun Violence Prevention

Because Gun Violence Prevention is a top priority of MIHS students and parents across our PTA’s, we wanted to share some recent legislative updates from National PTA, Washington State PTA, as well as the work of our local MI PTA GVP Advocacy subcommittee.

National PTA recently updated their position statement to take a stronger stance and urge elected officials to pass universal background checks for all firearm sales, a ban on sales of kits used to make/modify guns, raise the federal minimum age to 21 to purchase guns, pass a federal ban on assault weapons, along with many other life-saving positions. The current National PTA president, Leslie Boggs, issued a powerful statement in response to this past week’s school shooting at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, CA.

Twenty Mercer Island PTA members (including two MIHS students) attended the WSPTA Legislative Assembly at the end of October to participate in the drafting and approval process for our state PTA short– and long-term platforms, which inform WSPTA legislative lobby efforts in Olympia. Members from the MIPTA GVP Advocacy subcommittee drafted and presented two adopted amendments and one brand new resolution on gun violence prevention – which members passed. See legislative resolutions pages 16 (Youth Suicide Prevention) and 25 (*Gun Violence Prevention and Safety – Students and School Staff). *NEW in 2019!

WSPTA is a strong force for legislative action in Washington state. Sign up to receive action alerts and information bulletins sent to members who subscribe to WSPTA’s Action Network Group. These alerts are a quick, easy way to communicate with our legislators on topics they are actively working on.

On Mercer Island, “See Something, Say Something” posters have been hung hallways and classrooms at high school and will be hung at the middle school. These posters encourage students to look out for each other and to notify an adult if they notice concerning behavior by a peer such as suicidal ideation or obsession with firearms. Email gvp@miptacouncil.org sign up for the monthly newsletter or attend the upcoming monthly sub-committee meeting – December 12th @ 10am at the Mercer Island Library.