By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The billionaire-backed Alliance for Gun Responsibility, a Seattle-based gun prohibition lobbying group, has announced its legislative agenda for Washington State in 2025, including a requirement for permits to purchase, a tax on firearm and ammunition sales, and a restriction on “bulk sales.”
Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms quickly reacted to the purchase permit and special tax items.
“No other enumerated constitutional right requires a permit from the government to be exercised,” he told TGM. “Likewise, the exercise of other constitutional rights cannot be subjected to a punitive tax.”
He posed this question: “Can you imagine requiring a journalist to get permit before he can write or publish breaking news?”
The seven points on the Alliance agenda are posted on the group’s website.
- REQUIRE A PERMIT TO PURCHASE FIREARMS: Permit-to-purchase systems ensure that background checks occur before a firearm purchase rather than at the point of sale. This life-saving tool has been proven to reduce firearm-related deaths, curb illegal gun trafficking, and help ensure firearms don’t fall into dangerous hands. Additionally, permitting provides an extra layer of safety by involving additional checks in the initial stages of firearm acquisition.
- HOLD DEALERS ACCOUNTABLE: We must ensure that firearms are sold and managed in a manner that prioritizes public safety. Holding the gun industry accountable to established responsible standards of care for firearm dealers operating in Washington State is critically important for public safety. Requiring compliance to these standards to maintain a dealer license ensures that firearm retailers are taking reasonable precautions regarding safe storage, preventing straw purchases, and maintaining accurate records.
- RESTRICT FIREARMS IN SENSITIVE PLACES: We must apply additional safeguards by expanding restrictions into parks and public buildings and allowing local governing bodies to craft regulations that fit the needs of their communities. Such measures are vital in creating a comprehensive approach to gun safety, enhancing the well-being of all citizens.
- REQUIRE THE SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS: Firearms continue to be the leading cause of death for children in the United States. We must mitigate risks associated with unsecured firearms and their impact on accidental shootings, domestic violence, and suicide by requiring firearms be safely stored and home and, crucially, in vehicles where they are stolen most often. Properly storing firearms in secure safes or lockboxes can prevent them from being stolen and ending up in dangerous hands, contributing to illegal firearm trafficking.
- RESTRICT BULK FIREARM AND AMMUNITION PURCHASES: Limiting the number of firearms and ammunition an individual can purchase at a given time is a straightforward approach to prevent gun trafficking. Data shows that multiple firearms sales are a significant indicator of firearms trafficking, and firearms sold in such sales are frequently recovered at crime scenes.
- SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED AND HOSPITAL-BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION: As gun violence continues to impact young people and people of color disproportionately, the critical work of community based violence intervention programs requires investment at all levels of government. Washington State needs to support the organizations and individuals working with community members most at risk for violence across our state by authorizing Medicaid dollars to fund intervention programs operating in trauma centers across our State.
- ESTABLISH A TAX ON FIREARM SALES AND AMMUNITION: Gun violence costs Washington state an average of $11.8 billion every year, ranging from direct medical costs and criminal justice services to a lost quality of life for victims and their families after a tragedy. Washington must raise revenue to support victims and service programs via an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition
“I expect to see all of them this session,” said Dan Mitchell, owner of Sporting Systems in Vancouver, Wash., and founder/CEO at the Washington Civil Rights Association. “Look around the country to see what’s being pushed or passed in other regions, and it’s what coming here. Completely unoriginal, but you can bet your bottom dollar the anti-gunners here in Washington still need something to fundraise for.”
Mitchell said the ammunition tax idea is bad because it would drive his customers across the Columbia River to Oregon. He said the tax would penalize people who like to buy their ammunition and save money over time.
“These limits will be set by people who don’t shoot, hunt or compete,” he said via email. “A competitive shooter may go through 30,000-40,000 rounds a year. Even a recreational, lower level competitor is going to burn 20,000 rounds in practice and competition.”
Though not on the Alliance agenda, Mitchell expects someone to attempt to add a live-fire component to a proof-of-training course in order to get a purchase permit. His business has offered a free, online safety course which has been used more than 300,000 times by Washington citizens, saving them millions of dollars in potential class fees.
“We support training and education,” Mitchell said, “but not to simply (exercise) a constitutionally-protected right to possess firearms.”
Renee Hopkins, Alliance CEO, asserts in a news release, “Permit-to-Purchase laws are proven as the single most effective policy to save lives and reduce gun violence. All of our work in Washington over the last decade has been leading to this pivotal moment. We’ve created a strong centralized background check system, passed laws to remove guns from dangerous situations like domestic violence and partnered with law enforcement to ensure thorough and equitable implementation, advocated for funding dedicated to community violence intervention programs – all of these policies together build an infrastructure to support a full permit-to-purchase system. It’s time for Washington to take this strong step forward.”
The Alliance said state Rep. Liz Berry (D-36th District) will be the prime sponsor of the permit-to-purchase bill.
