Compelling arguments why the Congressional ban on #gun research is deadly: http://t.co/VxGvPfMHWx
White House reports on executive orders for #gun reform: http://t.co/cybJnxazgV Now let's make Congress act! Text MyVoice to 877877
Six ways faith leaders have helped enact #gun reform at the state level: http://t.co/FXqqEkD7wi
Head of American Academy of Pediatrics calls for #gun reform & parental action to reduce child gun deaths & injuries http://t.co/0HqJVgoYux
Text MYVOICE to 877877 (or dial 1-888-997-3976) today to tell your U.S. Rep. to support H.R. 1565 to expand background checks. #MyVoice
"It's not over for us" writes #Newtown social worker 6 months after tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. http://t.co/xFafoTeVdL
6 months after #Newtown, families speak out on @PiersMorganLive abt lack of action by Congress: http://t.co/R4yOY30pU2
"As a gun owner myself, I simply refuse to allow the NRA to speak for me," writes founder of Gun Owners For Reform: http://t.co/tXTySF0uUF
#SixMonthsNoAction by Congress. Over 4500 more lost to #gunviolence. We demand #universalbackgroundchecks. Now! http://t.co/FGI9iZtPEs
Make your voice heard as the nation marks 6-months since Sandy Hook school shootings: http://t.co/SUdkJe3rg1

State Gun Laws

For the 5th year in a row, the Brady Campaign has issued a 100-point scorecard ranking all 50 states on the basis of laws that can prevent gun violence, such as background checks on all gun sales, permit-to-purchase requirements, limiting handgun purchases to one a month, and retention of sales records. The scorecard ranks states for laws that were in enacted by the end of 2011.

California continues to blaze legislative trails in saving lives, rising to a high of 81 points on the 2011 Brady State Scorecard rankings of state gun laws. California’s universal background check system, retention of purchase records, limiting handgun purchases to one a month, and an assault clip ban are just some of the laws that provide a road map to preventing gun violence.

Opposite California are Arizona, Alaska, and Utah with 0 points each. In fact, a Brady Campaign analysis of crime gun trace data finds that the 31 states with few or no gun laws export 9 times the crime guns as the six states with the strongest gun laws.

Click here to download state rankings

Click here to download full state scorecard

Click here for descriptions of all the scoring criterion

Legal Community Against Violence's publication, "Regulating Guns in America" and the LCAV.org website served as the primary sources for this analysis.