BURIEN, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order aimed at curbing gun violence by improving data-sharing among government agencies and starting a new public health campaign on suicide prevention.

"We are not afraid to take action here in Washington state," Inslee said Wednesday after criticizing inaction by Congress on gun violence.

Inslee appears to be the first governor in the nation to take action on the issue after an announcement earlier this week by President Barack Obama regarding an executive order.

Inslee praised Obama's plan to create a more sweeping definition of gun dealers as a way to increase the number of sales requiring background checks. Both leaders are Democrats.