In a nod towards the wishes of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, a handful of anti-gun measures are slated to come before the 2007/2008 Washington Legislature as the session kicks off this week. Perhaps the most dangerous is House Bill 1026, a measure aimed directly at private firearm sales, which would mandate that all firearms sold at gun shows be transferred through a federally licensed dealer, thereby imposing dealer restrictions on private individuals who are not dealers.
House Bill 1014 imposes strict penalties should an individual be found guilty of “unsafe storage of a firearm” under the definition of “reckless endangerment.” This measure singles out the storage of firearms for criminalization rather than directing attention towards educating children on the issue of firearms safety.
These bills have been recycled from sessions past, and thanks to the support of NRA members in Washington, have been consistently beaten back. However, this legislative year they have a chance of passage due to the change in political make-up of the Legislature from the 2006 election cycle.
It is vital that NRA members keep up the pressure and communicate with their legislators in opposition to HB 1026 and HB 1014. For a full listing of names and contact information, please log onto the Legislative website at http://www.wa.gov/ or call the toll free hotline at (800) 562-6000.
Thank you!
Please keep checking your email and www.NRAILA.org for future updates on these threats to the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Washington State!
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