Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
The Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition is a coalition of mayors from 225 different United States cities, with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets."
The group was formed on April 25, 2006, during a summit held at Gracie Mansion in New York City that was hosted by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. However, Richard M. Daley still holds his position as the CEO of this coalition.
The initial group consisted of 15 mayors; the 15 drafted and signed a statement of principles[ Retrieved on June 12, 2007] and set a goal to expand their membership to 50 mayors by the end of 2006. That goal was met six months ahead of schedule, and led to its current membership of 225 mayors.[ Retrieved on June 12, 2007]
The Coalition contains mayors from both major political parties, and its statement of principles has received the endorsement of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Conference of Black Mayors.
Origin
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is funded in part by a $175,000 grant
from the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based non-profit organization which supports gun control measures.
Tiahrt Amendment
One of the primary goals of the organization is to undo the Tiahrt Amendment. Since its passage in 2003 as an amendment to an appropriations bill, the Amendment has forbidden the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives *(ATF) from releasing information from its firearms trace database to anyone other than a law enforcement agency or prosecutor in connection with a criminal investigation, and any data so released is deemed inadmissible in a civil lawsuit.[Full text of current Tiahrt Amendment From ProtectPolice.org, a project of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.] The mayors contend that the Amendment restricts access of cities and law enforcement to gun trace data, hindering municipal police departments' ability to track down sellers of illegal guns.[Knight, Healther (June 19, 2007) "Mayors Fight Gun Measure." San Francisco Chronicle.] Mayor Bloomberg has called the Amendment "an insult to the thousands of police officers that face the threat of illegal guns."[ Retrieved on July 10, 2007]
In July, 2007, after the House Appropriations Committee rebuffed attempts to repeal the amendment, the Senate Appropriations Committee went further, approving a bill that, according to the New York Times, "threatens law enforcement officials with prison time for using gun tracing data beyond a specific investigation, say, for identifying and targeting trafficking patterns."[ Retrieved on July 17, 2007]
Criticism and controversy
The ATF, along with the Fraternal Order of Police[News Item] and the Southern States Police Benevolent Association[http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/ssbenevolent.pdf] oppose repealing the Tiahrt Amendment.
During a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Lady's Home Journal, Bloomberg called the Fraternal Order of Police a "fringe organization" after it opposed his efforts to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment. "I would say resident within the Fraternal Order of Police is far more expertise with the administration of justice than Mayor Bloomberg's limited experience in that area," said James Pasco, the group's executive director.[N.Y. Triggers Gun Stings Nationwide, The New York Post, May 10, 2007 By: David Seifman]
Five mayors have withdrawn from the organization, claiming that they were misled about the group's anti-gun platform.[Mayor Withdraws from anti-gun coalition, The Indianapolis Star, June 27, 2007 By: Tania E. Lopez http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070627/LOCAL0101/706270329/1015/LOCAL01][Letter to the Editor, Anchorage Daily News, February 4, 2007 by Mayor Mark Begich http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/8614932p-8507468c.html][An Idaho Mayor Withdraws From Bloomberg's Gun Group, The New York Sun, January 17, 2007 By: Bradley Hope http://www.nysun.com/article/46799] They are: Idaho Falls Mayor Jared Fuhriman; Carmel, Indiana Mayor James Brainard; Rio Rancho, New Mexico Mayor Kevin Jackson;
Anchorage, Alaska Mayor Mark Begich; and Oldmans Township, New Jersey Mayor Harry Moore.[National Shooting Sports Foundation :: Firearms Industry Hails New Jersey Mayor Following Resignation from Bloomberg Coalition]
Mayor Bloomberg has been criticized by Virginia's Attorney General, Robert F. McDonnell, for sending private investigators to conduct "sting" operations of gun shops in the Commonwealth without coordinating these investigations with state or Federal law enforcement agencies, thereby possibly compromising on-going investigations. In reaction to these "sting" operations, the state legislature passed legislation making it a felony to engage in private investigations of gun shops without state or Federal law enforcement officials present. [Va. Tells NYC to Stop Gun Stings, Washington Post, pg. A01, May 10, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902573.html]
After the indictment, arrest, and subsequent jailing of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms has called on Kilpatrick to resign from the Coalition.[Bloomberg Anti-Gun "Soul-Mate" Kilpatrick Now a Cellmate; Should Resign, Says CCRKBA - MarketWatch]
Participating Mayors
The following list is complete as of June, 2007.
Alabama
 Mayor Samuel L. Jones, Mobile
Arkansas
Mayor Dan Coody, Fayetteville
Mayor Patrick Hays, North Little Rock
California
Mayor Todd Campbell, Burbank
Mayor Daniel E. Furtado, Campbell
Mayor Cheryl Cox, Chula Vista
Mayor Kris Wang, Cupertino
Mayor Robert Wasserman, Fremont
Mayor Gary Plass, Healdsburg
Mayor Beth Krom, Irvine
Mayor H. Manuel Ortiz, Irwindale
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles
Mayor Rob Schroder, Martinez
Mayor Steve Cottrell, Nevada City
Mayor Ron Dellums, Oakland
Mayor Steven Glazer, Orinda
Mayor Pamela Torliatt, Petaluma
Mayor David Durant, Pleasant Hill
Mayor Jennifer Hosterman, Pleasanton
Mayor Thomas D. Long, Rancho Palos Verdes
Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Richmond
Mayor Heather Fargo, Sacramento
Mayor Patrick J. Morris, San Bernardino
Mayor Jerry Sanders, San Diego
Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco
Mayor Chuck Reed, San Jose
Mayor Miguel Pulido, Santa Ana
Mayor Marty Blum, Santa Barbara
Mayor Joseph D. Serrano, Sr., Santa Fe Springs
Mayor Bob Blanchard, Santa Rosa
Mayor Paul Miller, Simi Valley
Mayor Edward Chavez, Stockton
Mayor Otto O. Lee, Sunnyvale
Mayor Morris Vance, Vista
Mayor Antonio "Tony" Cartegena, Walnut
Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, West Sacramento
Colorado
Mayor John Hickenlooper, Denver
Connecticut
Mayor John Fabrizi, Bridgeport
Mayor Eddie Perez, Hartford
Mayor John DeStefano, Jr., New Haven
Mayor Richard Moccia, Norwalk
Mayor Dannel Malloy, Stamford
Mayor Scott Slifka, West Hartford
Delaware
Mayor Vance A. Funk, III, Newark
Mayor James M. Baker, Wilmington
District of Columbia
Mayor Adrian Fenty, Washington
Florida
Mayor Scott J. Brook, Coral Springs
Mayor Joy Cooper, Hallandale Beach
Mayor Julio Robaina, Hialeah
Mayor Mara Giulianti, Hollywood
Mayor Manuel Diaz, Miami
Mayor Kevin Burns, North Miami
Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando
Mayor Fred Costello, Ormond Beach
Mayor Frank C. Ortis, Pembroke Pines
Mayor Patricia Christensen, Port St. Lucie
Mayor John Marks, III, Tallahassee
Mayor Beth Talabisco, Tamarac
Georgia
Mayor Heidi Davison, Athens-Clarke County
Mayor Shirley Franklin, Atlanta
Mayor Jack Ellis, Macon
Mayor Jere Wood, Roswell
Hawaii
Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Honolulu
Illinois
Mayor Richard M. Daley (CEO), Chicago
Mayor Lorraine H. Morton, Evanston
Mayor Rita L. Mullins, Palatine
Mayor John A. Spring, Quincy
Mayor Lawrence Morrissey, Rockford
Mayor Richard H. Hyde, Waukegan
Indiana
Mayor Graham Richard, Fort Wayne
Mayor Stephen Luecke, South Bend
Iowa
Mayor Kay Halloran, Cedar Rapids
Mayor Edwin Winborn, Davenport
Mayor T.M. Franklin Cownie, Des Moines
Kentucky
Mayor Elaine Walker, Bowling Green
Mayor Butch Callery, Covington
Mayor Jerry Abramson, Louisville
Mayor Thomas L. Guidugli, Newport
Louisiana
Mayor Melvin "Kip" Holden, Baton Rouge
Mayor Ray Nagin, New Orleans
Mayor Cedric B. Glover, Shreveport
Maine
Mayor Nicholas Mavodones, Jr., Portland
Maryland
Mayor Ellen Moyer, Annapolis
Mayor Sheila Dixon, Baltimore
Massachusetts
Mayor Tom Menino (Co-Chair), Boston
Mayor James E. Harrington, Brockton
Mayor Kenneth Reeves, Cambridge
Mayor Jim Fiorentini, Haverhill
Mayor Michael J. Sullivan, Holyoke
Mayor Clare Higgins, Northampton
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Somerville
Mayor Charles V. Ryan, Springfield
Michigan
Minnesota
Mayor Steve Lampi, Brooklyn Park
Mayor Gary F. Van Eyll, Chaska
Mayor Herb W. Bergson, Duluth
Mayor R.T. Rybak, Minneapolis
Mayor Rob Marty, Mounds View
Mayor Chris Coleman, St. Paul
Mayor Mark Schiffman, Waconia
Mayor Andrew G. Humphrey, Wayzata
Mississippi
Mayor Johnny DuPree, Hattiesburg
Mayor Frank Melton, Jackson
Mayor Phillip West, Natchez
Mayor Matthew J. Avara, Pascagoula
Missouri
Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis
Montana
Mayor Ron Tussing, Billings
Nebraska
Mayor Colleen Seng, Lincoln
Mayor Mike Fahey, Omaha
New Jersey
Mayor Kevin G. Sanders, Asbury Park
Mayor Joseph Doria, Bayonne
Mayor Jason J. Varano, Berkeley Township
Mayor Sophie Heymann, Closter
Mayor James A. Gallos, Milford
Mayor Pasquale Menna, Red Bank
Mayor Emilia M. Siciliano, Shrewsbury
Mayor Barry H. Zagnit, Spotswood
Mayor Betty Simmons, Victory Gardens
Mayor Gwendolyn Faison, Camden
Mayor Carol Foster, Corbin City
Mayor Chester Riland, Downe Township
Mayor Joseph R. Smith, East Newark
Mayor Robert L. Bowser, East Orange
Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Elizabeth
Mayor David Delle Donna, Guttenberg
Mayor Beth Ann Haven, Haddon Heights
Mayor Meryl Frank, Highland Park
Mayor Wayne Smith, Irvington
Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Jersey City
Mayor Brian A. Reid, Lacey Township
Mayor Eugene Kulick, Little Falls
Mayor Frank W. Minor, Logan Township
Mayor Walt Craig, Lower Township
Mayor Michael Fressola, Manchester Township
Mayor Donald Cresitello, Morristown
Mayor David Scapicchio, Mount Olive
Mayor James Manning Jr., Neptune Township
Mayor Cory Booker, Newark
Mayor Peter C. Massa, North Arlington
Mayor Randy George, North Haledon
Mayor Michael Luther, Parsippany-Troy Hills
Mayor Jose Torres, Paterson
Mayor Harry L. Wyant, Phillipsburg
Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, Prospect Park
Mayor Earl Gage, Salem
Mayor Douglas Palmer, Trenton
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, West Windsor Township
Mayor John E. McCormac, Woodbridge Township
New Mexico
Mayor David Coss, Santa Fe
New York
Mayor Gerald Jennings, Albany
Mayor Byron Brown, Buffalo
Mayor Ernest Davis, Mount Vernon
Mayor Noam Bramson, New Rochelle
Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Co-Chair), New York
Mayor Robert Duffy, Rochester
Mayor Matthew Driscoll, Syracuse
Mayor Phil Amicone, Yonkers
North Carolina
Mayor Terry Bellamy, Asheville
Mayor Kevin Foy, Chapel Hill
Mayor Bill Bell, Durham
Mayor Keith Holliday, Greensboro
Mayor Charles Meeker, Raleigh
North Dakota
Mayor Dennis Walaker, Fargo
Ohio
Mayor Dan Pillow, Addyston
Mayor Don Plusquellic, Akron
Mayor Joseph Harper, Arlington Heights
Mayor Mark Mallory, Cincinnati
Mayor Frank G. Jackson, Cleveland
Mayor Danny Stacy, Cleves
Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Columbus
Mayor Rhine McLin, Dayton
Mayor Theodore Shannon, Fairfax
Mayor Jim Lawler, Forest Park
Mayor Thomas J. Longo, Garfield Heights
Mayor Joseph C. Hubbard, Glendale
Mayor Alan Zaffiro, Golf Manor
Mayor Daniel Gieringer, Harrison
Mayor Deborah Seay, Lincoln Heights
Mayor Jim Brown, Lockland
Mayor Lydia J. Reid, Mansfield
Mayor Michael O. Ciaravino, Maple Heights
Mayor Thomas E. O'Grady, North Olmsted
Mayor Judith Rawson, Shaker Heights
Mayor John Smith, Silverton
Mayor Jay Williams, Youngstown
Mayor Barry Porter, Wyoming
Oklahoma
Mayor Kathy Taylor, Tulsa
Oregon
Mayor Robert Drake, Beaverton
Pennsylvania
Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Allentown
Mayor John Callahan, Bethlehem
Mayor Joseph Sinnott, Erie
Mayor Rick Gray, Lancaster
Mayor John Street, Philadelphia
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Pittsburgh
Mayor Tom McMahon, Reading
Mayor John S. Brenner, York
Rhode Island
Mayor David Cicilline, Providence
South Carolina
Mayor Joseph Riley, Charleston
South Dakota
Mayor Dave Munson, Sioux Falls
Tennessee
Mayor Bill Haslam, Knoxville
Mayor Tom Beehan, Oak Ridge
Mayor A. C. Wharton, Shelby County
Texas
Mayor Will Wynn, Austin
Mayor Bill White, Houston
Mayor Richard Ward, Hurst
Utah
Mayor Rocky Anderson, Salt Lake City
Vermont
Mayor Bob Kiss, Burlington
Virginia
Mayor William Euille, Alexandria
Mayor Paul D. Fraim, Norfolk
Mayor Annie M. Mickens, Petersburg
Mayor James W. Holley III, Portsmouth
Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, Richmond
Washington
Mayor Peter B. Lewis, Auburn
Mayor Greg Nickels, Seattle
Mayor Bill Baarsma, Tacoma
Wisconsin
Mayor James Schmitt, Green Bay
Mayor John M. Antaramian, Kenosha
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Madison
Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee
Mayor Gary Becker, Racine
Mayor Larry Nelson, Waukesha
Mayor Theresa M. Estness, Wauwatosa
External links
Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's homepage
http://www.cityofboston.gov/mayor/ Office of the Mayor of Boston
References
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