By Dave Workman | Senior Editor
A Washington State anti-rights citizen initiative that passed in November and was immediately challenged in federal district court by two national gun rights groups has now been called “almost unenforceable” by the Lewis County prosecutor.
Initiative 1639 made Washington’s gun laws among the most restrictive in the nation, and already, the supporters have announced their legislative agenda for 2019 that would create even more restrictions. The Legislature opens a new session this month in the state capitol of Olympia.
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer noted that sheriffs in Ferry, Lewis and Wahkiakum counties have already announced they will not actively enforce provisions of the gun control measure. He spoke during a nearly eight-minute interview on KIRO Radio in Seattle, explaining, “The problem with the way 1639 is written is that it’s almost an unenforceable law.”
Meyer, who advocated teaching gun safety in schools, said that the reason is because, in his opinion, the measure violated the state’s single subject rule for citizen initiatives. It does appear to have several different tenets, although some people argue that the initiative’s single subject was “gun control,” so it might be hard to challenge on that ground. But that didn’t stop Meyer from criticizing the initiative.
“The way that it’s written,” Meyer said, “is very hard to enforce.”
He also told Scott that the initiative does nothing to address “crooks stealing guns.”
I-1639, which spanned 30 pages and was initially disqualified by a Thurston County Superior Court judge because the initiative petitions did not comply with requirements of state law. But Judge James Dixon’s ruling was reversed one week later by Washington State’s liberal Supreme Court, which allowed the billionaire-backed initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot. It was approved by just under 60 percent of the voters.
Sheriff’s departments in Lewis and Ferry County have also said they will not actively enforce the initiative, which raises the legal age to purchase a semiautomatic rifle to 21, requires so-called “enhanced background checks,” adds a $25 paperwork fee to process a semi-auto purchase, requires proof of training, and so-called “secure storage.” It also creates a new felony-level crime of “community endangerment.”
Opponents of the measure, including the Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association, likened the training requirement to an unconstitutional “literacy test.”
The law enforcement push was initially started by Republic Police Chief Loren Culp. No law enforcement organization supported the measure, and the five biggest actually came out against it.
The measure is now being challenged in federal district court by the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association.
