In a news cycle that can so often feel overwhelming, I wanted to drop into your inbox today with something we don’t get to share often enough: proof of real, life-saving progress.
This week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a comprehensive new package of gun safety laws in California.
These aren’t just symbolic bills. They hit the issue from every angle — shutting down dangerous loopholes, tackling emerging threats like untraceable 3D-printed firearms, expanding safe storage programs, and delivering crucial behavioral health resources to young people exposed to violence.
It’s easy to feel like the fight against gun violence is an uphill battle. But when you look at what’s happening in California, the impact of grassroots organizing and youth leadership becomes impossible to ignore:
- California is ranked #1 in the nation for gun law strength by both Giffords and Everytown.
- Gun death rates in California reached an all-time low in 2024 — standing 49% below the national average.
- Firearm homicides dropped 19% in 2025, with youth firearm homicide rates nearly half that of the rest of the country.
- Over the last three years, Protection Orders were actively used to help prevent 58 threatened mass shootings.
If every state in the country matched California’s gun safety standards, nearly 160,000 lives could have been saved over the last decade.
Think about what that number means. Those are real people — classmates, siblings, friends, and neighbors — who would still be here today.
This is what happens when survivors, organizers, and young people refuse to back down. It’s proof that when we demand accountability and push for real solutions, the system can change.
California is setting the blueprint, but our work won’t be done until every single community in every single state is safe from gun violence. Will you add your name in support and to demand comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation from leaders across the country?
We have a long road ahead, but today, let’s take a moment to celebrate what momentum looks like. Thank you for standing with us in this fight every single day.
In solidarity,
Jackie Corin
March For Our Lives
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