The Washington Senate has passed a gun control bill that would call many semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns “assault weapons” and make it illegal to sell, buy, or bring them into the state.
Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, said that if the bill went into action right away, gun shops would have to decide whether to follow the law until a court rules or close down. (Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
‘Banning Assault Weapons Save Lives’
After what Lt. Gov. Denny Heck called an “emotionally charged policy debate” on almost two dozen proposals, most of which were turned down, the vote on HB 1240 was 27-21. A lot of what was said on the floor on April 8 was a repeat of what had already been said about the gun control bill’s meaning of “assault weapon.” Under HB 1240, it would be illegal to buy, sell, or bring in certain semi-automatic firearms. Gun control bill also bans semi-automatic weapons shorter than 30 inches and shotguns or pistols with one or more features or attachments that supporters of HB 1240 say to make them easier to hide or fire faster.
During a debate on the floor, Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, told her peers that the gun control bill where assault weapons will be banned would save lives. Gun violence is said to be a dire situation. People who properly own a gun that is affected by HB 1240 can sell it to a dealer with a Federal Firearms License (FFL) or to the police. A similar rule lets someone receive an “assault weapon” when the owner dies, as long as they “can show such provenance.” But that person couldn’t sell or give the gun to anyone other than an FFL trader or a member of the police.
One amendment that lawmakers didn’t like would have taken away HB 1240’s “emergency clause” and put off its execution until a federal lawsuit against a similar law in California is over. The gun control bill is almost certainly going to be challenged in court on constitutional grounds. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, vice chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, told her colleagues that the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment “is not absolute.” In response, Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, quoted the Washington Constitution, which says that “the right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself or the state shall not be impaired.”
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Immediate Implementation of the Gun Control Bill Impact
Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, said that putting the gun control bill into effect right away would force gun shops to decide whether to follow the law until a court rules or close down. “I might just pack up and leave the state,” she said, which she thought was one of the goals of the gun control bill. Aside from the gun control bill’s provisions, opponents also had problems with HB 1240’s “intent” part. They tried to change or get rid of it through bill amendments, but failed.
One part of the intent section says that the gun industry promotes some guns as “hypermasculine” to attract “troubled young men who want to become the next mass shooter.” Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, objected to this statement because it made “misandrist accusations.” “If troubled young men are the problem, why don’t we do something about it?” Padden said. “I think this section’s language needs to be changed as soon as possible.” Another thing about the “intent” part is that it calls semi-automatic weapons “weapons of war.”
Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, a former Marine, told his fellow senators, “I’ve handled a lot of tools of war, and I know the difference. “An AR-15 may look like an M16, but they are very different weapons.” Wagoner tried to get a failed amendment passed that would have excluded youth target rifles from the meaning of “assault weapon.” He also said that the bill’s list of “assault weapons” came from other states that already ban these weapons. “I don’t feel good about that.” Now, HB 1240 will go back to the House to see if they agree with it.
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