IT BEGINS: New Bill Would Ban 90% Of Guns In State Of Washington

The Washington Senate Law & Justice Committee is scheduled to vote on House Bill 1240 next week, which seeks to establish a state definition of “assault weapon” that could be applied to most firearms, according to the Gun Owners of America (GOA).

The proposed law aims to prohibit the manufacture, distribution, and sale of assault weapons, with exemptions for licensed firearm manufacturers and dealers for sale to law enforcement agencies and armed forces branches, sale or transfer outside the state, and inheritors.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) released a statement encouraging its members and Second Amendment supporters to oppose the bill, which it describes as a comprehensive ban on the future transferring, importing, and manufacturing of many semi-automatic firearms commonly used for self-defense, competition, and recreation.

House Bill 1240 is a proposed law that aims to prohibit the manufacture, distribution, and sale of assault weapons. The bill provides limited exemptions for licensed firearm manufacturers and dealers for purposes of sale to law enforcement agencies and armed forces branches, sale or transfer outside the state, and inheritors.

“The legislature finds and declares that gun violence is a threat to the public health and safety of Washingtonians. Assault weapons are civilian versions of weapons created for the military and are designed to kill humans quickly and efficiently. For this reason the legislature finds that assault weapons are “like” “M-16 rifles” and thus are ‘weapons most useful in military service,'” the Bill reads.

The NRA released a statement saying, “the House voted 55-42-1 to pass House Bill 1240, a comprehensive gun ban bill, prior to the legislative deadline expiring. It now goes to the Senate for further consideration. NRA members and Second Amendment supporters are encouraged to oppose HB 124o.”

“House Bill 1240, a so-called ‘assault weapons ban,’ is a comprehensive ban on the future transferring, importing, and manufacturing of many semi-automatic firearms that law-abiding citizens commonly-own for self-defense, competition, and recreation.”

Bill 1240 declared that gun violence is a threat to public health and safety in the state, and that assault weapons are civilian versions of weapons created for the military and designed to kill humans quickly and efficiently.

1240 read, “Moreover, the legislature finds that assault weapons are not suitable for self-defense and that studies show that assault weapons are statistically not used in self-defense. The legislature finds that assault weapons are not commonly used in self-defense and that any proliferation is not the result of the assault weapon being well-suited for self-defense, hunting, or sporting purposes. Rather, increased sales are the result of the gun industry’s concerted efforts to sell more guns to a civilian market.”

The bill also argues that assault weapons have been used in the deadliest mass shootings in the last decade and that they are not suitable for self-defense or sporting purposes. The bill intends to limit the prospective sale of assault weapons while allowing existing legal owners to retain the assault weapons they currently own.

“The legislature finds that the gun industry has specifically marketed these weapons as “tactical,” “hyper masculine,” and “military style” in manner that overtly appeals to troubled young men intent of becoming the next mass shooter. The legislature intends to limit the prospective sale of assault weapons, while allowing existing legal owners to retain the assault weapons they currently own.”