Seattle-based Grandmothers Against Gun Violence (GAGV), a nonprofit group of local grandmothers and others advocating against gun violence and pushing for stricter gun control in Washington, put a call out to parents this week.
The message? If you care about child safety and restricting the use of guns, now’s the time to call you lawmakers.
Last year, in an outreach to readers, parents told Seattle’s Child that gun violence and children’s safety were their number one concern for their kids. In continuing response to that concern, GAGV legislative lead Jennifer Dolan-Waldman sent this message to GAGV members this week:
“We realize that many people are getting multiple emails about the progress of proposed legislation. But,time is really tight to complete the process for four significant steps in reducing gun violence in Washington.
The week of February 19th has been a busy one in Olympia. After passing in the House, the three bills below moved over to the Senate. All three were voted out of committee on Tuesday and are now on their way to a possible floor vote.
• HB 1903: Requires reporting of lost or stolen guns, a measure which has shown to support efforts to crack down on trafficking of firearms.
• HB 2021: Authorizes local governments and the Washington State Patrol to dispose of and destroy forfeited firearms, including guns taken in “buy back” programs.
• HB 2118: Details requirements for firearms dealers for storage, security features, liability insurance, employee background checks, and other issuesrelated to dealer responsibility.
This bill passed in the Senate and then moved to the House where it passed out of committee. It is also on its way towards a possible floor vote.
• SB 5444: Expands the list of public places where firearms cannot be openly carried. This adds public libraries, zoos, aquariums and transit stations because they are all places where children are likely to be.
All voting must be completed by March 1st.
How can you help them get through?
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- Call/email your senator and urge them to vote for HB 1903, HB 2021, HB 2118.
- •Call/email your representatives and urge them to vote for SB 5444.
- Not sure of your legislators’ contact info? Check here.
No matter where you stand on gun control, your voice matters in Olympia. Consider calling your lawmaker with your child. It’s a great lesson in civic engagement.
