PHOENIX — Hundreds of white sheets with red paint to visualize victims of gun violence were put on display outside the Arizona Capitol to call for stronger gun regulations.
March For Our Lives Phoenix led the demonstration of around 300 sheets, with red handprints to represent those who have died due to gun violence.
“When people see this they think, it’s wow, and it’s gruesome, and it’s not pretty to look at,” said Jacob Martinez with March for Our Lives Phoenix. “It’s harsh to look at, and that’s the point because this is a harsh topic, and this is the reality of it, students are dying and people are dying.”
The demonstration comes a day after Arizona Republican Senators blocked a vote on gun legislation.
Despite not being given a hearing, which is part of the legislative process, Democrats demanded a vote on Senate Bill 1546.
“It would have allowed us to bypass that committee process and have a vote on it today by the whole senate,” said Senator Martin Quezada.
Senator Quezada, who also serves as the Senate Minority Whip, said this measure would close the gun show loophole.
Senators from both sides of the aisle went back and forth. Democrats saying, we need to start somewhere, and Republicans argued that more restrictions would not help.
But the effort was blocked by a vote of 16 to 13.
“That’s not the proper procedure first of all, and that's not a legislation I support,” said Senator Kelly Townsend.
Senator Townsend, like all of her fellow Republican Senators, voted no.
“More laws that are infringing on the Second Amendment rights of other Americans who are allowed is not the answer,” said Townsend.
Representative Jennifer Longdon, a victim of gun violence, said she’s introduced a number of bills throughout the last four years on gun legislation, but has not been able to get one to the floor, “I’ve never been able to get a hearing on a single one,” she said.
There are 12 gun regulation bills in the House that could be brought to the floor, but as of now they have not.
