Washington state House votes to ban assault weapons

Firearms

[ad_1]

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Democrat-led Washington state House on Wednesday approved an assault-weapons ban, advancing a measure long sought by gun-control advocates.

Lawmakers passed the measure on a largely party-line 55-42 vote, The Seattle Times reported.

The action Wednesday moved the assault-weapons ban further than it has advanced in six previous attempts. It now heads for the state Senate, where Democrats also hold the majority.

If the Senate approves it and it’s signed into law, Washington would join nine other states that have enacted laws generally banning the sale, manufacture and transfer of assault weapons, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee watched the vote in the chamber and called it very important.

People are also reading…

“It is something that I’ve believed in since 1994 when I voted to make this federal law,” said Inslee, who served in Congress before becoming governor.

He said the Legislature had broken “the NRA’s lock on Washington” and that “the vast majority of Washingtonians support this commonsense measure.”

With gun deaths hitting the highest mark seen in decades in the U.S., Democrats in Washington state have flexed their majorities to push the assault-weapon ban while advancing other gun restrictions, including a 10-day waiting period for purchases and a bill that would hold gunmakers liable for negligent sales.

During the debate on the assault-weapons bill, Democrats spoke of mass shootings frequently carried out by men wielding assault-style weapons such as AR-15s that have killed people in schools, churches, nightclubs and grocery stores.

State Rep. Darya Farivar, D-Seattle, lamented a modern cycle of “deaths, sadness, thoughts and prayers, and then back to business.” She said she has experienced a shooter lockdown, and she decried the fearful reality faced by schoolchildren.

Republicans argued the ban violates the federal and state constitutions and predicted it would be overturned. They also contend it would not stop criminals or prevent mass shootings while infringing on the rights of law-abiding people seeking to defend their families.

“Firearms are the great equalizer,” said state Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, touting their use to defend against “all sorts of predators.”

The bill lists more than 50 specific gun models that would be banned from future sales in the state, including military-style weapons such as AR-15s, AK-47s and M-16s. It also lists characteristics of prohibited firearms, such as semi-automatic rifles with a length of less than 30 inches, and those that have detachable magazines or fixed magazines with a capacity of ten rounds or more.

Lawmakers have advanced the firearm restrictions as part of a package announced in December by Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson.

The state House this week passed House Bill 1143, requiring a 10-day waiting period and safety training before all gun purchases. They had already been required for semi-automatic rifles.

The state Senate last week approved a bill that would give the Washington Attorney General’s office the authority to hold gun manufacturers or sellers liable for gun sales that result in weapons landing in the hands of criminals or mass shooters.

Each gun measures must still be considered and voted on in the coming weeks by the opposite chamber in the legislative session, set to continue into late April.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

[ad_2]

Source link

Articles You May Like

Florida House Rep proposes reduced gun age law for fourth straight year
Over 6,200 Murders in Chicago During Last Decade
No Open Carry in Winn-Dixie Despite Florida Law
Everytown for Gun Safety Gave $200,000 to Jay Jones Who Texted He Wanted to Shoot GOP Lawmaker
Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Requiring ‘Eligibility Check,’ Fee, for Gun Barrel Purchases

270 Comments

  1. It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this superb blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will share this site with my Facebook group. Chat soon!

  2. You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!

  3. Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I’ll definitely comeback.

  4. I’ll right away seize your rss as I can’t in finding your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me realize so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

  5. Hello! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!

  6. Excellent blog here! Also your website loads up fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol

  7. Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too fantastic. I really like what you have acquired here, really like what you’re stating and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it sensible. I cant wait to read much more from you. This is actually a wonderful web site.

  8. Wonderful beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for a blog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea

  9. you are really a good webmaster. The website loading speed is amazing. It seems that you are doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you have done a great job on this topic!

  10. Just want to say your article is as surprising. The clearness on your submit is simply excellent and i can suppose you’re a professional in this subject. Well along with your permission let me to grasp your RSS feed to stay updated with approaching post. Thanks 1,000,000 and please keep up the rewarding work.

  11. Its such as you read my thoughts! You appear to understand a lot approximately this, such as you wrote the ebook in it or something. I think that you just can do with a few p.c. to power the message house a little bit, but instead of that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.

  12. I have to show some thanks to the writer for bailing me out of this type of instance. As a result of looking through the world wide web and meeting ways which were not productive, I figured my entire life was well over. Existing without the strategies to the problems you’ve resolved by way of your entire guideline is a crucial case, and those which may have in a wrong way damaged my career if I had not come across your website. Your primary talents and kindness in taking care of almost everything was precious. I am not sure what I would’ve done if I had not come upon such a stuff like this. It’s possible to at this point relish my future. Thanks for your time very much for this expert and result oriented help. I won’t think twice to recommend your web sites to anybody who needs and wants tips on this topic.

  13. certainly like your web-site but you have to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I will certainly come back again.

  14. Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people you actually understand what you are talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly also visit my web site =). We may have a link alternate contract among us!

  15. Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your site is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this website. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found just the information I already searched everywhere and simply couldn’t come across. What an ideal web-site.

  16. I genuinely enjoy reading through on this web site, it holds good content. “And all the winds go sighing, For sweet things dying.” by Christina Georgina Rossetti.

  17. Excellent beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a blog site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea

  18. hello!,I like your writing so much! share we communicate more about your article on AOL? I require an expert on this area to solve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Looking forward to see you.

  19. Hi there, I found your blog via Google while searching for a related topic, your website came up, it looks good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  20. Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Internet explorer. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem resolved soon. Kudos

  21. Hello! I’ve been reading your site for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Houston Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent work!

  22. But a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding design. “Make the most of your regrets… . To regret deeply is to live afresh.” by Henry David Thoreau.

  23. Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this article to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *