Lawmakers have passed a bill through the Democratic-controlled
Washington state
legislature, enacting a ban on dozens of semi-automatic rifles, becoming the 10th state in the United States to ban the sale of
assault weapons
.
The bill was given final approval on Wednesday in a 55-42 vote, with one excused, and is expected to be signed into law by Gov.
Jay Inslee
(D-WA).
GUN VIOLENCE EMERGENCIES PROMPT CONCERNS OF GOVERNMENT OVERREACH
“WA does not and will not accept gun violence as normal,” Inslee wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “Banning the sale of assault weapons, our bill to enact training requirements and a wait period, and the bill to improve accountability of manufacturers and retailers will save lives.”
House Bill 23-1240
would prohibit the sale, distribution, manufacture, and importation of about 60 types of assault weapons, including AR-15s, AK-74s, AK-47s, and comparable military-style rifles. The legislation defines an assault weapon as a “semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine” and includes other characteristics from a lengthy list of requirements.
The ban excludes antique firearms, any permanently inoperable firearms, or those that are “manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.”
Sponsored by Democratic Rep. Strom Peterson, similar legislation has failed in the state before. The bill comes as the United States has seen a wave of high-profile mass shootings. As of mid-April, the
Gun Violence Archive
has reported more than 160
mass shootings
this year.
“As someone who has lost a person I love to gun violence, I am thrilled that the House voted to pass a bill to hold gun dealers and manufacturers accountable for the destruction they cause to families,” Democratic Rep. Liz Berry said in a video statement from the Washington House Democrats.
Republicans
strongly opposed the bill, claiming the ban is an unconstitutional infringement of gun rights, and would target responsible gun owners.
“This bill just makes our state and our country less safe because we’re criminalizing the good men and women who are good, law-abiding citizens,” Republican state Rep. Leonard Christian said during the hearing.
South Texas College of Law professor Josh Blackman told the Washington Examiner that there’s credible constitutional protection for AR-15s after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in New York last June. The court ruled carrying a pistol in public was a constitutional right under the Second Amendment in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
“The so-called assault weapons, which are AR-15, alike are very widely held,” Blackman said. “There are millions of them in circulation. They’re commonly in use. And they’re not necessarily more dangerous than other types of guns that are already widely used.”
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Blackman said he expects to see these bills fail in blue or purple states, noting there is no national ban taking place.
Many states have been considering assault weapon restrictions or bans, including Colorado, which failed to pass House Bill 23-1230 after 12 hours of testimony on Wednesday.
