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145 CEOs call on Senate to pass ‘commonsense, bipartisan’ gun laws

Along with stronger background checks, the business leaders are calling for a strong Red Flag law.

  • By Bill Chappell/NPR
Officials continue to work the scene, Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, in Odessa, Texas, where teenager Leilah Hernandez was fatally shot at a car dealership during Saturday's shooting rampage.

 Sue Ogrocki / AP Photo

Officials continue to work the scene, Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, in Odessa, Texas, where teenager Leilah Hernandez was fatally shot at a car dealership during Saturday's shooting rampage.

(Washington) — A new call for gun safety is coming from 145 business leaders, who sent a letter to members of the Senate Thursday stating that it is “simply unacceptable” to do nothing about gun violence and mass shootings in the U.S.

Saying the country is in a public health crisis, the CEOs say new laws that would require background checks on all gun sales “are a common-sense solution with overwhelming public support and are a critical step toward stemming the gun violence epidemic in this country.”

To save lives, the letter states, “The Senate must follow the House’s lead by passing bipartisan legislation that would update the background checks law.”

The CEOs come from a variety of companies, from Amalgamated Bank to the Royal Caribbean Cruise line. The heads of AirBnB, Yelp and Dick’s Sporting Goods also signed the letter.

Along with stronger background checks, the business leaders are calling for a strong Red Flag law, which could prevent shootings in cases where family members or law enforcement report concerns about someone who may be at risk of harming themselves or others.

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