To the editor:

Rhode Island domestic violence laws are weak, and our families and communities deserve better protection by getting guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. The statistics are appalling. The presence of a gun in domestic violence situations increases the risk of homicide for women by 500 percent.

The good news is that a few courageous elected officials are moving forward with legislation to help reduce unnecessary gun deaths. House Bill 7575 and Senate Bill 2767 will (1) prohibit gun possession by convicted domestic abusers; (2) prohibit gun possession by domestic abusers who are currently subject to protective orders; and (3) require that prohibited domestic abusers turn in their guns when they become prohibited.

I urge my neighbors to support House Bill 7575 and Senate Bill 2767, which will address our current legal gaps and bring our state’s laws in line with federal law in order to do a better job of protecting victims of domestic abuse in our state.

Laura Abbasi

Barrington

Ms. Abbasi is a volunteer with Everytown for Gun Safety/Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.