AK-47 Assault Rifle
“This is a great day for the State of Washington and it is a victory over weapons of war,” after years of trying, Governor Jay Inslee signed a sweeping package of gun control laws including a ban on Assault Weapons.
“AR 15’s should not be idolized, they should be prohibited and that’s what we’re doing today” with a mix of joy and hardened resolve Inslee signed three bills, but 2016 Mukelteo shooting that left three dead still resonates in the State Capitol.
“The energy impacted and the damage to human flesh including our children can be twice and three times what a handgun does” this was a long time coming for the Governor and gun control advocates “There only purpose is to kill humans as rapidly as possible.”
House Bill 1240 bans the sale, distribution, manufacturing and importing of AR-15s, AK-47s and similar military style assault weapons. “We understand there will be lawsuits challenging the ban on the sale of assault weapons” Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has also lead this fight “My team told me one has been filed already and I think our record is pretty good so far against the NRA and against The 2nd Amendment Foundation.”
The 2nd Amendment Foundation filed a legal challenge in federal court almost immediately; as did the Firearms Policy Coalition.
“The ban on so-called assault weapons” Dave Workman is Editor and Chief at the foundation’s Gun Mag dot-com “We believe is an unconstitutional violation of both the 2nd and the 14th Amendments” he says “It allows people who own ‘em to keep ‘em now, but it doesn’t allow anyone else to buy one in the future.”
This was an emotional day for State Representative Strom Peterson “But this year (sobbing)” a shooting at a house party in 2016 with an AR-15 drove the year after year push to ban assault weapons.
“Wow, today’s the day, we’ll see if I make it through this speech” three people were killed that night in Mukilteo and Peteson was the first to sponsor a bill “Thank you Governor! Thank you Attorney General Ferguson, its been a journey.”
Another bill requires firearms training for new gun owners and a 10 day waiting period to buy a gun is now law. “I’m the mom of two little kids” Representative Liz Berry “and it’s devastating to me that gun violence is the number one cause of death for children in our country.”
Firearms manufactures and dealers have been heavily criticized for selling assault weapons and high capacity magazines “It causes the people who are directly involved to become very interested” says Senator Jamie Peterson sponsor of the bill “It imposes on them liability for failure to impose reasonable controls on those firearms, so if you think you’re going to sell high capacity magazines ‘guess what?’ now the attorney general has a new tool to make sure you can’t do that.”
Washington is the 10th state to approve a ban on Assault Weapons.