Today 1/16/2017 at 1pm, the Center for Disease Control was scheduled to host a preparedness meeting called “Public Health Response to a Nuclear Detonation.”

It was canceled at the last moment, but it’s not just the CDC preparing for war. A New York Times headline last weekend declared “Military Quietly Prepares for a Last Resort: War With North Korea.” And emergency management officials across the nation have already started taking steps in case the worst comes to pass.

At VoteVets, we have already started identifying a large number of Korean War veterans ready to speak out. And they will. But what we want to know today from you is this:

Monday marks our first hearing day of the 2018 legislative session, and right off the bat, the Senate Law & Justice Committee will be meeting to hear bills related to gun violence prevention and safety.

From Dangerous Access Prevention to Enhanced Assault Weapon Background Checks, the potential topics for this inaugural meeting are at the top of the Alliance’s agenda. But we need your help to make their passage a reality. Please, click here to be connected with your legislators’ offices and tell them that Washingtonians demand that the legislature pass these bills.

• Enhanced Assault Weapon Background Checks that would require Washingtonians to be 21 before purchasing an assault weapon and would mandate annual background check renewal.
• Dangerous Access Prevention that would incentivize safe storage, creating criminal liability if a child uses an unsafely stored firearm to harm themselves or others.
• Restoration of Local Authority so local governments can build on statewide gun responsibility laws by taking additional steps to protect families and communities.

We can’t make this agenda a reality without you, Carmen. Your legislators need to hear from you right now that gun violence prevention must be a priority this session. Will you take a moment to call your legislators and make sure they hear from their constituents, not the gun lobby?

Click here to be connected to your legislators’ offices – it will only take a moment!

This year, more than any other in recent memory, we have a real chance to move forward with life-saving legislation. But we need your voice in this fight – legislators need to know that you’re watching their votes, that you’re holding them accountable and that you care deeply about gun violence prevention.

Every voice, every call, every moment matters. Please take just a brief moment to reach out to your legislators today.

Thank you for taking the time to help us end the gun violence crisis.

The Alliance

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to make this country a better place to live for everyone by building a beloved community. The MLK Day of Service is an opportunity to transform those teachings into actions that meet the tangible needs of those who need it the most.

For the 2018 MLK Day Weekend of Service, we’re asking OFA volunteers to host community outreach events across the country. As part of OFA’s vision to create a more accessible, participatory, and fair democracy, volunteers will be using these events as an opportunity to bring their communities closer together — particularly those disproportionately affected by voter suppression and disenfranchisement.

In addition to giving back to the community through service projects, OFA believes that voter registration outreach efforts align particularly well with the MLK Day of Service purpose — to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, and address social problems. We encourage OFA volunteers to get out in their community and promote awareness around voter registration by using the my.ofa.us/register tool. Be sure to check out our 2018 MLK Day Weekend of Service Host Guide for best practices and resources on hosting your event. This is an excellent opportunity to meet your neighbors, empower folks to use their voices, and strengthen civic participation in our democracy.