Mayors in Chapel Hill and Carrboro have joined more than 200 of their colleagues from across the nation to ask that the United States Senate be called back from August recess to “take action on bipartisan gun safety legislation.”

Pam Hemminger in Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s Lydia Lavelle both signed onto the letter this week, after two mass shootings last weekend resulted in more than 30 individuals being killed in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

“Already in 2019 there have been over 250 mass shootings,” the letter reads. “The tragic events in El Paso and Dayton this weekend are just the latest reminders that our nation can no longer wait for our federal government to take the actions necessary to prevent people who should not have access to firearms from being able to purchase them.”

Two bills aimed at expanding background checks passed the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives but have received no action in the GOP-led Senate.

Lavelle said in a release, ““This is not a partisan issue to those of us at the local level.”

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signaled an interest this week in voting on measures dealing with gun safety when the legislative body returns next month. He made clear that the Senate would not be called back early to address any legislation.

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