Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law Tuesday a ban on most sales of assault-style weapons across Washington — including the deadly AR-15.
“Today Washington state is putting the gun industry in its place and improving the health, safety and lives of our residents,” Inslee said in a statement.
The new restrictions include a 10-day waiting period on purchases, and new training requirements. There is also a provision that would allow the state attorney general to sue gun manufacturers or dealers under public nuisance laws.
Under the new law, current owners of the weapons will be able to keep them and gun dealers who already have them in stock will be allowed to sell out what they have. There is also an exception for the military, and for service members who may own such a weapon and move to the state.
“The new laws put Washington in the ranks of states with the strongest gun control measures in the nation,” the New York Times reports.
Pro-gun groups including the NRA have already filed suit.
CHS reported here on the ban and the new legislation passed during the 2023 session in Olympia.
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” … exception for the military, and for service members who may own such a weapon and move to the state.” This makes me uncomfortable considering all the covert active service in alt groups. Closed door, opened window.
I know, but … baby steps.
That’s a ballsy baby step. Imagine the US gets rid of all their nukes. Great “baby steps”: now we just need the rest of the world to do the same. Except that becomes even more impossible than it was before because you just gave up any leverage you had.
I’m all for demilitarization. For real. So what happens when we play out these baby steps of yours? We take all the weapons away from normal citizens and *then* demilitarize the military itself? And those service members collectively say “sorry, actually, I’d rather keep my weapon”. What happens then?
The ordering here is exactly the opposite of what I’d want. From the outside point of view you’re not removing the tools for violence from our society: you’re working to concentrate them into the hands of the few.
Did you read the article? The law doesn’t take a single gun from a single person. It only regulates transfers, not ownership.
Both the City of Tacoma and Yakima County experienced more homicides last year than any year in history. Seattle was third highest last year. Very few (if any) homicides were committed with a long gun. Not sure what this legislation will accomplish, certainly not a decline in homicide.
Making it harder for some nutjob to do a mass shooting on impulse, for one not insiginificant thing.
Agreed, there is no downside to the AR ban.
Tell me what AR means.
Annoying Right-winger.
I’m not a ‘gun guy’. But surely this move has 2nd Amendment problems, no?
It might, given the tenor of the current Supreme Court. But eight other states have had a similar law for some time now, so it’s not like we’re pushing the legal envelope here. Presumably similar suits have been filed in those states, and those laws are still standing.
(Personally I think the 2nd Amendment is entirely null and void because we long ago did away with regulated militias in favor of a standing professional army, but I recognize that it may be a while before the court comes around to this view.)