This is a guest opinion column

Well before running for office, I knew the unconscionable pain caused by gun violence.

I served as a high school social studies teacher in Montgomery Public Schools from 2012-2014. In the years since, I have lost over a dozen of my former students and their classmates to gun violence.

My students and I have endured the trauma and enormous grief that comes with losing someone you know in such a tragic way.

I know that this is a pain that too many in our Montgomery community and in Alabama have suffered.

I committed to doing my part to collaborate with our community, mentors, educators, families, clergy, and more to pour into our children and try to guide them away from gun violence.

When I ran for office in 2022, addressing gun violence was one of the biggest issues I heard about from residents of District 74.

I heard over and over again the pain of families who lost a loved one to gun violence. I heard the trauma that too many experienced.

Once elected, I heard from even more heartbroken families — including those who lost children, colleagues, and friends to guns with “Glock switches”.

There is Vanessa Pierce who lost her 21 year-old son, Travonne Pierce, to a gun with a Glock switch in 2022.

Ms. Pierce and so many others know that laws will not bring back their loved ones. But they have pleaded for those in government to take action to try and save lives moving forward.

They specifically asked that lawmakers fight for a state ban on Glock switches.

They know that government cannot stop all tragedies. But they know that we can take some steps to make a difference.

These machine gun parts — often referred to as “trigger activators”, “Glock Switches”, and “conversion devices” — have proliferated in Alabama in recent years and have been used in numerous shootings.

They have been used in high-profile crimes including in Dadeville, the Five Points South nightclub shooting in Birmingham, and at Tuskegee University’s homecoming weekend.

Huntsville police officer Billy Clardy III was murdered in 2019 with gun with a Glock switch.

These modifications convert pistols into extremely lethal, uncontrollable machines that are almost impossible to control even by the most skilled and trained professionals. They have no recreational or self-protection purposes.

Yet they are currently only banned under federal law, so there is no state offense that Alabama law enforcement and district attorneys can use to deter and hold people accountable.

Federal prosecutors are selective in what cases they take on, their indictment and prosecution process can take longer, and they are only able to handle some of this increasing caseload.

Under existing law, police and sheriffs in Alabama must turn these cases over to the federal government. A state law will give law enforcement in Alabama another tool to improve public safety.

There are many examples of laws in which something is illegal federally but there is also an Alabama statute.

The Alabama legislature often enacts state prohibitions and consequences to try and deter bad behavior and convey expectations about acceptable conduct.

This is not a Democratic or Republican issue, but a human issue.

I have work tirelessly since getting into office to build a strong coalition to support a state Glock switch ban. I have held countless hours of meetings with legislative colleagues and leadership, law enforcement, community groups and advocates, families, clergy, and more to craft this legislation.

I know other elected officials have spoken out about this issue and have expressed support for such a law.

Together, we can do the right thing and get this bill over the finish line.

This bill is just one of many ways that we can and should try to enhance community safety and protect against gun violence. We all have a role to play and must take responsibility – from homes and families to clergy to mentors to the community to lawmakers.

Laws will not stop every tragedy – but a Glock switch ban can save some lives. Therefore, we must take action.

Phillip Ensler is a State Representative for District 74 in the Alabama House of Representatives.