"Gun violence in this country is an epidemic and it is an international embarrassment."

That's what Pres. Biden said more than two years ago after a gunman opened fire in a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, killing nine people.

Since then, in tragedy after tragedy around the country, countless additional lives have been taken by gunmen wielding assault weapons.

And while Pres. Biden is taking some meaningful steps through executive action to curb the gun violence epidemic, Congress has failed to do its part due to Republican obstruction.

Thankfully, state legislatures are starting to pick up the slack. In April, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law legislation that bans the sale, manufacturing and distribution of more than 50 specific types of semiautomatic firearms.

By doing so, Washington became the 10th state to ban the sale of assault weapons, following the lead of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

If Congress won't act to protect our communities from gun violence, state legislatures must. Sign the petition urging state legislatures to pass legislation banning the sale of assault weapons.