Washington: Freedom Prevails in Olympia - Anti-Gun Legislation Dead for 2013

Freedom has prevailed again in Olympia!  Yesterday was the deadline for legislation to be voted out of its chamber of origin.  Thanks to your hard work and relentless opposition, House Bill 1588 failed to come up for a vote on the House floor.  The fate of the so-called “universal background check” legislation and your rights came down to the wire.                               

On Tuesday, the state House of Representatives came to a halt for more than seven hours as House Democrats tried to round up enough votes to pass this anti-gun measure.  As NRA-ILA previously reported, HB 1588 could have criminalized all private sales of firearms.

HB 1588, introduced by state Representative Jamie Pederson (D-43), was nothing more than a regulatory scheme that would have created a huge burden for law-abiding citizens, been unenforceable, and ignored by criminals.  This bill was nothing more than a precursor to Universal Firearm REGISTRATION. 

Your participation in the legislative process was essential to this victory! Although your Second Amendment rights were defended in Olympia during this round, the attack on your inherent right to self-defense and right to keep and bear arms is far from over.  Gun owners and sportsmen must remain vigilant in order to preserve our freedoms!

The following anti-gun bills are also dead for this session:

House Bill 1676, introduced by state Representative Ruth Kagi (D-32), a so-called “child access prevention” bill which would have singled out the storage of firearms for criminalization under certain circumstances. 

House Bill 1703, introduced by state Representative Laurie Jinkins (D-27), would have levied an outrageous tax on all firearm and ammunition purchases to create more bureaucracy in the form of a “firearm safety” education program.

Senate Bill 5737, introduced by state Senators Ed Murray (D-43) and Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-36), would have banned commonly owned firearms mischaracterized as “assault weapons” and magazines that hold more than ten rounds.  This extreme measure would have also allowed in-home inspections by law enforcement.

Your NRA-ILA will continue to keep you informed as this legislative session continues and draws to its adjournment.  Caution: legislative rules can always be waived, so until the legislature adjourns on April 28, we must remain vigilant.