By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
As majority Democrats in the Washington State Legislature launched their renewed efforts to ratchet down on the rights of law-abiding gun owners, an unscientific viewer poll by KOMO in Seattle—the local ABC News affiliate—revealed that 66 percent of respondents say gun laws in the state are already “too extreme.”
The survey, which continues for several more days, attracted more than 5,100 initial respondents who are limited to a single vote. It was part of a KOMO report detailing several proposed measures, including Senate Bill 5098, for which the first public hearing was held Monday in Olympia, the state capital.
SB 5098 expands so-called “gun-free zones” to include public parks, playgrounds, government buildings and other locations where “children are likely to be present.”
The Senate bill is sponsored by Seattle Democrat Sen. Javier Valdez, who told his colleagues on the Senate Law & Justic Committee, “I would say that, for me, if you want to keep people safe and if you have a firearm, keep it at home, keep it there and in a safe place. I think that you’re actually protecting more kids and families by not bringing your weapon onto a public space. That’s how I feel.”
Gun rights organizations including the National Rifle Association and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms are opposing this measure.
ARTICLE I, SECTION 24, WASHINGTON STATE CONSTITUTION
In the KOMO survey, only 27 percent think the state gun laws are “too lax” and a paltry 7 percent think current statutes “strike a correct balance.”
Gun rights protected by the Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 24 of the State Constitution have been under withering attack since Democrats took control of the legislature several years ago. In addition to SB 5098, other bills so far introduced include:
SB 5099: Protecting the public from gun violence by establishing additional requirements for the business operations of licensed firearms dealers.
HB 1132: Enhancing public safety by limiting bulk purchases and transfers of firearms and ammunition.
HB 1152: Enhancing public safety by establishing secure storage requirements for firearms in vehicles and residences.
House Bill 1163 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 5140 increase requirements to purchase, transfer or own a firearm. Supporters say the bills could reduce gun violence and increase public safety.
They all claim to enhance public safety.
HB 1163 and SB 5140 may draw the most visceral opposition because they seek to require a permit-to-purchase a firearm, which includes provisions for taking a gun safety course that includes a live fire exercise. Supporters of this measure will almost certainly refer to this week’s Supreme Court decision to deny review of a challenge to a similar Maryland law as an affirmation they are on sound constitutional ground.
SEE: SCOTUS DENIES CERT IN DELAWARE, MARYLAND CASES
It is also likely HB 1132, limiting bulk ammunition purchases and one-per-month firearm purchases. Under this measure, persons could only purchase 1,000 rounds of ammunition in a single month, suggesting the state would somehow track an individual’s purchasing, thus establishing a back door gun registry. A person would also be restricted to buying only 100 rounds of .50 BMG ammunition per month.
