Gun Control

Women lose their lives and survivors face serious health problems as a result of violent crimes. Over the last decade, more than 45,000 women were killed by guns. (1) The Report Card examines three policies that states can enact to control guns. First, a state can require licensing and waiting periods which together reduce unauthorized and illegal access to guns and give local government the authority and time to conduct thorough background checks on potential handgun purchasers. Second, states can have policies requiring owners to either store guns in places that are inaccessible to children and/or use safety locks to help protect women and their families from guns kept in homes. Third, state statutes prohibiting concealed handguns can reduce the rate of violent crime.(2)

Data Points for this Issue:

Waiting Period/Licensing
Safe Storage and Locks
Restrictions on Carrying Concealed Weapons

Waiting Period/Licensing

	Strength Of Policy 2007	Change From 2004
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (1)
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
HAWAII
IDAHO
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
RHODE ISLAND
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
WYOMING

Meets Policy	14
Limited Policy	6
Weak Policy	0
No/Harmful Policy	31
Better	4
Worse	2
Same	45

1. In March 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down a comprehensive handgun ban that had been in place for 30 years in the District of Columbia. In its ruling, the court invalidated several D.C. statutes that address firearm control. Given that litigation is still pending and more court action is likely on these provisions, the Report Card continues to award credit to DC for this indicator.

Does the state have statutes requiring handgun licensing or permits, and requiring waiting periods?

States that adopt both licensing laws and mandatory waiting periods receive a "meets policy." States receive a "limited policy" if they require licensing permits or waiting periods but not both, and states that require neither receive a "no policy."

Data Source: Gun Control: waiting Period/Licensing, 2005.

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 2005 State Report Card, available at http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/reportcards/2005, accessed June 6, 2007.

Safe Storage and Locks

	Strength Of Policy 2007	Change From 2004
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (1)
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
HAWAII
IDAHO
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
RHODE ISLAND
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
WYOMING

Meets Policy	7
Limited Policy	17
Weak Policy	0
No/Harmful Policy	27
Better	3
Worse	6
Same	42

1. In March 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down a comprehensive handgun ban that had been in place for 30 years in the District of Columbia. In its ruling, the court invalidated several D.C. statutes that address firearm control. Given that litigation is still pending and more court action is likely on these provisions, the Report Card continues to award credit to DC for this indicator.

Does the state have statutes requiring safe storage?

States that have both safe storage and safety locks laws receive a "meets policy." States that have safe storage or safety locks laws but not both receive a "limited policy," and states that have neither receive a "no policy."

Data Source: Gun Control: Safe Storage and Locks, 2005.

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 2005 State Report Card, available at http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/reportcards/2005, accessed June 6, 2007.

Restrictions on Carrying Concealed Weapons

	Strength Of Policy 2007	Change From 2004
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (1)
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
HAWAII
IDAHO
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLAND
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
RHODE ISLAND
SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
WEST VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
WYOMING

Meets Policy	3
Limited Policy	11
Weak Policy	0
No/Harmful Policy	37
Better	0
Worse	3
Same	48

1. In March 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down a comprehensive handgun ban that had been in place for 30 years in the District of Columbia. In its ruling, the court invalidated several D.C. statutes that address firearm control. Given that litigation is still pending and more court action is likely on these provisions, the Report Card continues to award credit to DC for this indicator.

Does the state have statutes prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons?

States that prohibit the carrying of concealed weapons receive a "meets policy." States that only limit a resident's ability to carry a concealed weapon receive a "limited policy," and states that do not have any policies to limit the carrying of concealed weapons receive a "no policy."

Data Source: Restrictions on Carrying Concealed Weapons, 2005.

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 2005 State Report Card, available at http://bradycampaign.org/facts/reportcards/2005, accessed June 6, 2007.

1. Matthew Miller and others, "Firearm Availability and Suicide, Homicide, and Unintentional Firearm Deaths among Women." Journal of Urban Health 79 (March 2002), 26-38

2. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, "Concealed Weapons, Concealed Risk," undated, available at http://www.bradycampaign.org/facts/issuebriefs/ccw.asp.