As previously announced, the Washington State Legislature will be hosting committee hearings this week on over a dozen Second Amendment related bills. Please see below for the latest information on the committee hearing agendas, including the announcement of an ADDITIONAL Senate Law & Justice hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 21st. Also, please use each of the “Take Action” buttons below to separately contact the Senate and House Committees.
If you plan to attend the hearings, please use the electronic sign-in system available online or at a designated kiosk to register your support or opposition for a bill and to sign-up to testify. Please also plan to arrive early in order to find parking and to secure a seat in the Hearing Room. Overflow rooms will be available once the hearing rooms are full.
Senate Law & Justice Hearings
Details are available here and below. Click the “Take Action” button to contact the Senate Law & Justice Committee.
Monday January 20th, 10:00AM-12:00PM
Testimony will be limited to one minute per person, with SB 6294 and 6347 being heard together, and SB 6402 and 6406 being heard together.
Senate Bill 6077 would ban the manufacture, possession, sale, transfer, etc. of standard capacity magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. This measure is strongly supported by the Governor and the Attorney General.
Senate Bill 6294 would impose government red tape and expensive training requirements in order to obtain a Concealed Pistol License.
Senate Bill 6347 would extend the expiration date for a Concealed Pistol License from 5 to 7 years with voluntary proof of completing a basic firearm safety course.
Senate Bill 6406 provides that the theft of a firearm from a residence, shop, or sales outlet is a Class B Felony. This bill rightly focuses on the illegal actions of criminals, instead of targeting law abiding gun owners.
Senate Bill 6402 also provides increased punishment for the illegal use of a stolen firearm. Under this bill, it would be a Class A Felony for a person, while committing a felony, to discharge a stolen firearm, or use the stolen firearm to threaten or menace another person.
**NEW ** Tuesday, January 21st, 10:00AM-12:00PM
Senate Bill 6288 would create an Office of Firearm Violence Prevention within the Executive Branch of the state government. Governor Jay Inslee and his administration have already made it clear where they stand on Second Amendment issues—they routinely sponsor and support gun ban legislation and initiatives designed to disarm law-abiding citizens. This office would be nothing more than a tax-payer funded lobby group whose sole purpose is to erode self-defense rights in Washington.
Senate Bill 6163 would strip Second Amendment rights from individuals charged, but not convicted, of a felony DUI. Constitutional rights should only be restricted with sufficient due process of law. Due process limits restrictions on constitutional rights to only serious convictions and adjudications that provide procedural protections to the accused, which results in more reliable proceedings. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms should not be treated as a second-class right and should only be restricted when sufficient protections are in place.
House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee Hearing
Details are available here and below. Click the “Take Action” button to contact the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee.
Tuesday, January 21st, 10:00AM-12:00PM
Testimony will be limited to 90 seconds per person and HB 2240 and 2241 will be heard together.
House Bill 2240 would ban the manufacture, possession, sale, transfer, etc. of magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. This measure is strongly supported by the Governor and the Attorney General, and is the companion bill to Senate Bill 6077 that is being heard in Senate Law & Justice on Monday, January 21st.
House Bill 2241 would ban certain semi-automatic rifles and magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. HB 2241, like its predecessors, would do nothing to impact crime or keep Washingtonians safer.
House Bill 2519 would ban online sales of ammunition, and potentially require background checks for all ammunition purchases. This bill comes on the heels of California’s failed ammunition background check system and is being supported by the Attorney General.
House Bill 1374 would abolish Washington’s decades old state preemption statute, allowing localities to pass any gun control measures they see fit. The hearing will be held on a substitute bill that has not yet been released.
House Bill 1315 would require onerous government red tape and further training to obtain a Concealed Pistol License. The hearing will be held on a substitute bill that has not yet been released.
Again, please click the “Take Action” buttons above to contact committee members.
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