On Thursday, January 21st at 1:30 p.m., the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing to discuss important legislation in Room A of the John L. O’Brien Building. It is important that members and Second Amendment supporters attend this committee hearing and voice their opposition to the below legislation.
Sponsored by anti-gun lawmakers, the four bills below contain boilerplate language from the Obama/Bloomberg playbook. The proposed measures would only place an undue burden on law-abiding Washington gun owners.
House Bill 1747, sponsored by state Representative Ruth Kagi (D-32), would impose criminal penalties for “child endangerment due to unsafe storage of a firearm" if a “child” (defined as up to age 17) causes personal injury or death with a firearm. This bill is unnecessary; firearms are at the bottom of the list of items causing injury and/or death to children and in those rare cases where adults are truly negligent, the existing reckless endangerment statute is adequate. The only purpose of this bill is to single out and demonize firearms in the Washington code.
House Bill 2461, sponsored by state Representative Laurie Jinkins, would allow family members or law enforcement to petition the court to issue an “extreme risk protection order,” taking away someone’s Second Amendment rights without due process.
House Bill 2372, sponsored by state Representative Tana Senn, would permit law enforcement to destroy firearms that have been seized or forfeited. Existing law allows local municipalities to sell seized and forfeited firearms to raise money for local public safety. HB 2372 repeals that opportunity. This bill was introduced by the same legislator who brought the ammunition tax, a bill that places the blame of criminal activity and violence on her law-abiding constituents.
House Bill 2460, sponsored by state Representative Brady Walkinshaw, would allow local municipalities to ban the possession of firearms in public parks, recreational facilities, libraries and in all public transportation. Not only would this effectively take away the right of self-defense in these public places, but it would be a huge first step in weakening the preemption statute and opening the door to allow for the local prohibition of firearms. The preemption statute is put in place to prevent local municipalities from creating a patchwork of complex and confusing gun laws that could ensnare gun owners unaware of the laws.
Also being heard by the House Judiciary Committee is NRA-backed legislation, House Bill 2481. Sponsored by state Representative Brian Blake, HB 2481 would clarify the current, inadequately-written exemption in Washington law that is intended to allow individuals who are licensed under federal law to manufacture, own, buy, sell, furnish or be in possession of a short-barreled rifles.
Again, it is imperative that members and Second Amendment supporters attend this hearing to strongly oppose these radical anti-gun bills. If you are unable to attend, please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee and politely urge them to oppose anti-gun legislation and to support HB 2481.
Contact information for committee members can be found below:
House Judiciary Committee Membership:
Representative Laurie Jinkins (D) - Chair
(360) 786-7930
laurie.jinkins@leg.wa.gov
Representative Christine Kilduff (D) – Vice Chair
(360) 786-7958
christine.kilduff@leg.wa.gov
Representative Jay Rodne (R)
(360) 786-7852
jay.rodne@leg.wa.gov
Representative Matt Shea (R)
(360) 786-7984
matt.shea@leg.wa.gov
Representative Roger Goodman (D)
(360) 786-7878
roger.goodman@leg.wa.gov
Representative Larry Haler (R)
(360) 786-7986
larry.haler@leg.wa.gov
Representative Drew Hansen (D)
(360) 786-7842
drew.hansen@leg.wa.gov
Representative Steve Kirby (D)
(360) 786-7996
steve.kirby@leg.wa.gov
Representative Brad Klippert (R)
(360) 786-7882
brad.klippert@leg.wa.gov
Representative Patty Kuderer (D)
(360) 786-7936
Representative Dick Muri (R)
(360) 786-7890
dick.muri@leg.wa.gov
Representative Tina Orwall (D)
(360) 786-7834
tina.orwall@leg.wa.gov
Representative Drew Stokesbary (R)
(360) 786-7846
drew.stokesbary@leg.wa.gov
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