Advocates for responsible gun laws in Washington state expected this year’s battle to ban assault weapons and otherwise institute more responsible fun laws expected this years session of the Washington State Legislature to be a long and difficult battle. Officials at the Alliance for Gun Responsibility say the heat is already on this week.
Deadlines fast approachingÂ
House Bill 1143, an evidence-based policy that will protect our communities from preventable gun violence, is sitting in the House Appropriations Committee and must be passed out of the committee if it is to have a chance at passage by the full Legislature. The bill would require a permit to purchase firearms, safety training and an enhanced background check with a 10-day waiting period before purchase.
The alliance and other gun responsibility advocates urged parents and other supporters of the bill to contact lawmakers on the committee today. By February 24 all bills must be passed out of fiscal committees — that is, the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways & Means Committee — and read into the record on the House or Senate floors in order to continue moving through the legislative process. Bills that are not passed out of fiscal committees and given floor reads are considered dead
The costs of gun violence
“The human cost of the gun violence epidemic cannot be quantified. It is measured in empty seats at the dinner table, in milestones missed, in families grieving,” wrote Alliance Policy and Advocacy Manager Hazel Brown in a email to alliance supporters. “The economic cost of gun violence, on the other hand, can be calculated. Every year, gun violence costs Washington state 11.9 billion dollars–171.7 million of that bill is footed by taxpayers.
“Investing in policies like HB 1143 is imperative, both morally and fiscally,” they added. “Similar permit-to-purchase policies have proven to reduce gun suicides, homicides and the flow of guns to illegal markets. That means both lives and dollars saved.”
The 2023 session began January 9 and ends April 23. Bills must pass out
Advocates say action needed now
On Friday, Seattle-based Grandmothers Against Gun Violence and the statewide Alliance for Gun Responsibility urged parents to sign into hearings held by House and Senate committees looking at potential new gun legislation next week to show support for the bills. For those able to make the trip, the encourage parents to actually show up at committee meetings of both houses in Olympia.
Other bills aimed at addressing gun violence
HB 1144: Would require a permit to purchase firearms, but does not include the enhanced background check required in HB 1143.
HB 1178: Would allow local cities and counties to enact gun control laws that are more strict than state laws.
HB 1240: Would ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons as a means of increasing public safety.
SB 5078: Would mandate that members of the firearm industry work to prevent the diversion of firearms — a situation in which weapons and ammunition are taken from their originally intended recipients (for example active military personnel) and sold to non-military members of the public. It also provides guidance for investigation and enforcement by the attorney general.
Sign in to support billsÂ
To contact members of the House Appropriations Committee, call committee member numbers listed on the Legislature website. Or, send messages to lawmakers through The Alliance for Gun Responsibility online sign up form.
More on Seattle’s Child:Â
“Taking action against gun violence: A former school principal speaks up”
