Eric Swalwell Introduces No Guns for Abusers Act

A woman in Florida in fear of her husband turned in his guns to the police—in turn, she was jailed for armed burglary.
 
Courtney Taylor Irby told the police she feared for her life, saying her estranged husband rammed his car into hers in a fit of rage. Her husband Joseph was arrested, but granted pretrial release on the condition that he not own or carry firearms. Before Joseph’s release, Taylor took his guns to the police, who then arrested her for armed burglary and theft of a firearm because Joseph said he wanted to press charges (while in jail).
 
“In America, we have to do all we can to take the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the most dangerous people,” 2020 presidential candidate Eric Swalwell. “We know that any person in a violent relationship is five times more likely to die if there’s a firearm in the house.”
 
Taylor spent six days and five nights in jail, while Joseph spent one night. All of this happened despite a 2018 law that allows Florida police to seek risk protection orders to remove guns from people who could be a danger to others.
 
In Congress, Swalwell authored the No Guns for Abusers Act, which would federally require that every state has a process to get guns out of violent households. It would also enact a national firearm registry in order for police to know the firearms that should seize.
 
Taylor has had multiple protective orders against her husband before. She is due back in court around the same time as her husband. Swalwell believes she should not be punished and should be better protected. Activists and politicians are also called on the Polk County State Attorney to drop the charges against Taylor.

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