Today,Ai??Kentucky moms and gun owners from Moms Demand Action and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee held a press conference in support of gun reforms outside of the office of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

The groups presented 1,200 local petition signatures in favor of expanded background checks, a reform that 82 percent of Kentuckians support.

Kentucky gun owner, mom, and Progressive Change Campaign Committee member Pam Gersh was one of those who spoke at the press conference.

“I was born here and have lived here all my life. When I was 18 years old, Mitch McConnell, running his first campaign for the Senate shook my hand outside of my place of work. Today, 30 years later, Mitch McConnell will not shake my hand (or the hands of any of the other people here today),” explained Gersh. “He wonai??i??t let us enter his office as a group, only three at a time. He wonai??i??t meet with us. Mitch McConnell is out of touch, literally andAi??figuratively, with the people of Kentucky on many issues.”

“I want Mitch McConnell to represent the people who voted him into office. Mitch McConnell, vote on behalf of everyday Kentuckians – gun owners and mothers like myself – and vote for background checks,” she concluded. “If he doesnai??i??t want to look us in the eye and shake our hands and listen to us, then he doesnai??i??t deserve our vote.”

UPDATE: More photos from the event (thanks to Nancy Jakubiak)

UPDATE II: A local news station covered the event. “It doesn’t have anything to do with politics, it has everything to do with saving lives,” Pam Gersh said to the local reporter. Watch it:

Want to help us fight for reforms?Ai??Click here to pitch in a few dollars to run a Montana ad holding Max Baucus accountable for voting against background checks.