State Sen. Zellnor Y. Myrie (D-Brooklyn) has been named a “Gun Sense Lawmaker of the Year” by Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action.
The award recognizes elected officials who have shown unparalleled leadership on gun safety.
In honoring Senator Myrie, the group cited his first-in-the-nation bill holding irresponsible gun companies responsible for harms caused by their products.
The bill was signed into law last month, and recently cited by the Biden administration as a national model in the fight against gun violence.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this award, and to stand shoulder to shoulder with Everytown, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action,” said Myrie, who represents the 20th Senate District in Central Brooklyn.
“Together, we’ve shown the nation what a holistic, multi-pronged approach to fighting gun violence looks like,” he added. “Our success in this fight, and in the fights ahead, depends on an incredible network of allies, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Everytown.”
Myrie said the new law would allow civil suits to proceed against gun manufacturers and dealers “who irresponsibly fuel the criminal firearm market.”
He noted that a federal law makes it virtually impossible to hold bad actors in the gun industry accountable, but allows states to pass laws enabling such suits to proceed.
Earlier this year, Myrie was instrumental in the passage of the Community Violence Intervention Act, committing the State to fund hospital-based violence intervention programs and community-based violence interruption programs.
“These programs provide a credible, non-police response to gun violence, and have a remarkable track record of success in the communities most vulnerable to gun violence,” Myrie said.
Other honorees this year include the Biden-Harris administration and Dayton, OH Mayor Nan Whaley.
The first award was given to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in 2020 for leading the House of Representatives Gun Sense Majority, which, in 2019, passed several major gun safety bills for the first time in more than 20 years.
“Receiving this award is an honor,” Myrie said. “But this year’s victories are not mine alone; they could not have been possible without committed, on-the-ground activists, working every day on the front lines to stop gun violence before it starts.
“Their work inspires me to continue fighting for legislation, funding and other resources that will improve the safety of communities from Brownsville to Buffalo, and protect our families from the plague of gun violence,” he added.
