With the start of 2019, one provision from Initiative 1639 has taken effect. I-1639 classifies semi-automatic rifles commonly owned for recreation and self-defense as "assault" weapons and prohibits young adults under the age of 21 from purchasing them. As young adults under the age of 21 are already prohibited from possessing handguns, this denies them their fundamental right to self-defense. Other provisions from I-1639 are set to take effect on July 1st.
Not long after I-1639 passed on the November ballot, NRA and the Second Amendment Foundation jointly filed a lawsuit to challenge provisions of the initiative. This was just a first step in our fight to restore the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Washingtonians. Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on this challenge, as well as other issues affecting your Second Amendment rights as we head into the 2019 legislative session.