Raimondo joins coalition of governors to fight gun violence

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and the governors of three other Northeastern states on Thursday announced a coalition to combat gun violence in those states.

"We're not waiting for federal action," said Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, who was joined on a morning conference call by Raimondo and the governors of Connecticut and New Jersey.

"Congress needs to put politics aside, get something done," Raimondo said. "We can't just wait for Washington to do the right thing. So we said that we're going to take action."

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that the States for Gun Safety coalition would focus on three areas:

• Creating a cross-state task force to trace and intercept illegal guns.

• Sharing intelligence about gun crimes.

• Using state universities to research gun violence and solutions to the problem.

Raimondo said she will also push legislation in Rhode Island to address laws that allow military-style weapons, that allow high-capacity ammunition magazines and that allow carrying a concealed weapon in schools and government buildings.

"We know stronger gun laws save lives," Raimondo said.

She also said that the four governors in the coalition would press other governors to join them at a meeting this weekend of the National Governors Association.

Raimondo said that, while watching coverage of the Florida school massacre last Wednesday night with her children, they asked her, "Mom, what are you going to do about it? What are you going to do about this?"