Washington, D.C., April 16, 2019 — Weeks after taking similar action in New Mexico, Brady is demanding accountability from four county commissions and three sheriffs in Nevada who have publicly declared that they would not enforce a recently-passed law expanding background checks on gun sales. Brady’s Legal team filed Nevada Public Records Act (NPRA) requests with county commissions in Douglas, Elko, Lyon, and Nye Counties, and sheriffs in Eureka, Pershing, and Nye Counties, requesting all communications related to them declaring their counties “Second Amendment sanctuaries,” including any with representatives from the gun industry or gun rights organizations.
Brady president Kris Brown stated,
“If your job is to keep your constituents safe and defend public safety, you should have a vested interest in keeping guns out of dangerous hands. Instead, these Nevada county commissions and sheriffs have gone rogue. They’ve publicly declared their opposition to expanded background checks on gun sales — a policy supported by over 90 percent of Americans. We are committed to shining a light wherever necessary to ensure that our communities are safe from gun violence, and you can rest assured that we will get answers to our questions.”
The NPRA requests specifically request communications around Senate Bill 143, which requires universal background checks in Nevada and was signed into law by Gov. Steve Sisolak in February 2019. The bill closed the loophole that allows felons and dangerous people to avoid background checks and obtain guns through private sales, such as at gun shows and over the internet.
Brady VP of Legal Jonathan Lowy added,
“Law enforcement’s job is to enforce the law, and protect public safety. They aren’t self-appointed judges, with license to help criminals get guns by refusing to enforce background check laws, which are some of the most effective ways to prevent gun violence. We look forward to understanding why these county commissions and sheriffs have chosen to not do their job and instead endanger public safety.”
The letters sent to the respective offices requests, among other points:
Per NPRA requirements, each office has five business days to respond to Brady’s request.
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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