Washington Governor Signs AR-15 Ban: ‘No Reason Other Than Mass Murder’
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Washington governor Jay Inslee signed three gun control bills on Tuesday, including a ban on AR-15s and dozens of other semiautomatic rifles, which goes into effect immediately.
In addition to the assault-weapons ban, a ten-day waiting period for all gun purchases will be instituted. There is also a measure to enable the state attorney general or private citizens to sue gun manufacturers and dealers under public-nuisance laws if they negligently allow their guns to be sold to minors or straw purchasers, the Seattle Times reported.
“These weapons of war, assault weapons, have no reason other than mass murder,” Inslee said at the signing ceremony. “Their only purpose is to kill humans as rapidly as possible in large numbers.”
House Bill 1240 bans the sale, transfer, distribution, manufacture, and importation of 62 gun models it defines as “assault weapons.” The ban applies only to gun sales, not to guns people already own.
“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,” read the bill.
Washington is the 10th state to institute such a ban. New York, New Jersey, California, and Illinois have similar laws on the books.
Opponents of the gun-control package immediately reacted by filing a legal challenge against the assault-weapons ban. Plaintiffs include the Second Amendment Foundation, based in Bellevue, Washington.
“The State of Washington has criminalized one of the most common and important means by which its citizens can exercise their fundamental right to self-defense. By banning manufacturing, importation, distribution, and sale of common semiautomatic rifles, the State has barred law-abiding residents from legally acquiring common rifles and has deprived them of an effective means of self-defense and their fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms,” read the legal filing.
House Bill 1143, which institutes a waiting period, also requires a permit to purchase firearms, prohibits firearm transfers prior to the completion of a background check, and requires proof that purchasers of guns have completed gun-safety training.
Senate Bill 5078, the third measure, is aimed at establishing rules for firearm industry members to prevent sales to minors or those who buy a gun for someone else who might not be allowed to — that is, straw purchasers. The bill enables public-nuisance suits, which some groups focused on protecting consumers say are being weaponized to accomplish liberal policy goals.
All three of the bills passed the Washington legislature on largely party line votes.
