Washington: Last Minute Committee Switch Following NRA Members’ Calls

Yesterday, after your NRA-ILA posted a legislative alert for Washington members to contact the House Committee on General Government and Information Technology in opposition to House Bill 1857, the Committee was relieved of its consideration of the bill.  HB 1857 has now been referred to the House Appropriations Committee where it could receive executive action as early as Wednesday, February 25.

Last Thursday, February 19, the House Committee on Judiciary passed House Bill 1857, sponsored by Laurie Jinkins (D-27), with an amendment by a narrow 7 to 6 vote. 

As previously reported, HB 1857 would allow a family or “household member” or police officer to apply for an order that does one thing and one thing only: deprive someone else of his or her Second Amendment rights.

Under current law, people who pose a danger to themselves or others may be dealt with in a number of ways, depending on the circumstances.  They can be arrested for a crime and subject to bail conditions or pretrial detention.  They can have a restraining order or other protective order issued against them.  They can be held for a mental health evaluation and committed to a mental institution.  Any of those things can lead to a prohibition on firearm possession under current law.  All of them require some type of judicial process, so people are not arbitrarily deprived of their liberty or their rights.

HB 1857 seeks to make the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment subject to summary judicial cancellation by allowing virtually anybody to call for the confiscation of anybody’s firearms.  No other fundamental right is subject to such infringement and HB 1857 has a high potential for abuse.  Supposed indications in the bill of what qualifies as “dangerousness” include ordinary things people have a legal right to do, including buying firearms and consuming alcohol.

It is critical that HB 1857 does not make it through the House Appropriations Committee.  Please contact the members of this Committee TODAY and urge them to oppose this bill.  Contact information for committee members is provided below:

House Appropriations Committee:

Representative Ross Hunter (D-48), Chair
Phone: (360) 786-7936

Representative Timm Ormsby (D-3), Vice Chair
Phone: (360) 786-7946 

Representative Bruce Chandler (R-15), Ranking Minority Member
Phone: (360) 786-7960 

Representative Kevin Parker (R-6), Asst. Ranking Minority Member
Phone: (360) 786-7922

Representative J.T. Wilcox (R-2), Asst. Ranking Minority Member
Phone: (360) 786-7912

Representative Vincent Buys (R-42)
Phone: (360) 786-7854

Representative Reuven Carlyle (D-36)
Phone: (360) 786-7814 

Representative Eileen Cody (D-34)
Phone: (360) 786-7978 

Representative Cary Condotta (R-12)
Phone: (360) 786-7954 

Representative Tom Dent (R-13)
Phone: (360) 786-7932 

Representative Hans Dunshee (D-44)
Phone: (360) 786-7804 

Representative Susan Fagan (R-9)
Phone: (360) 786-7942 

Representative Larry Haler (R-8)
Phone: (360) 786-7986 

Representative Drew Hansen (D-23)
Phone: (360) 786-7842 

Representative Zack Hudgins (D-11)
Phone: (360) 786-7956 

Representative Sam Hunt (D-22)
Phone: (360) 786-7992 

Representative Graham Hunt (R-2)
Phone: (360) 786-7824 

Representative Laurie Jinkins (D-27)
Phone: (360) 786-7930 

Representative Ruth Kagi (D-32)
Phone: (360) 786-7910 

Representative Kristine Lytton (D-40)
Phone: (360) 786-7800 

Representative Drew MacEwen (R-35)
Phone: (360) 786-7902 

Representative Chad Magendanz (R-5)
Phone: (360) 786-7876

Representative Eric Pettigrew (D-37)
Phone: (360) 786-7838

Representative David Sawyer (D-29)
Phone: (360) 786-7906

Representative Joe Schmick (R-9)
Phone: (360) 786-7844

Representative Tana Senn (D-41)
Phone: (360) 786-7894

Representative Larry Springer (D-45)
Phone: (360) 786-7822

Representative Drew Stokesbary (R-31)
Phone: (360) 786-7846

Representative Pat Sullivan (D-47)
Phone: (360) 786-7858

Representative David Taylor (R-15)
Phone: (360) 786-7874

Representative Steve Tharinger (D-24)
Phone: (360) 786-7904

Representative Luanne Van Werven (R-42)
Phone: (360) 786-7980

Representative Brady Walkinshaw (D-43)
Phone: (360) 786-7826