GOAL Post 2017-13
Legislative Update from Olympia 31 March 2017
POLICY COMMITTEE CUT-OFF PASSES
HBs 1100, 1501 MOVE
FISCAL COMMITTEE CUT-OFF NEXT TUESDAY
SATURDAY PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED
The second chamber policy committee cut-off passed Wednesday. The only bill remaining in a policy committee, HB 1501 in Senate Law & Justice, was amended in committee and sent to Senate Ways & Means.
HB 1100 was passed out of Senate Ways & Means and sent to Senate Rules awaiting a floor vote. An (more…)
GOAL Post 2017-12
Legislative Update from Olympia 24 March 2017
BILLS MOVE
MORE CUT-OFFS LOOM
There’s been a little motion on our five bills of interest after a week of public hearings. HB 1100 passed out of Senate Law & Justice to Senate Ways & Means. HB 1612 passed out of Senate Human Services to Senate Ways & Means. Both of these will have to clear that fiscal committee before moving on.
Senate Bill 5268 passed out of House Judiciary to House Appropriations, more fiscal action. SB 5552 still sits in House Rules awaiting a floor vote (not likely until next month). A public hearing was held on HB 1501, so we can expect it to be subjected to a Senate Law & Justice committee vote next week.
The second chamber (House bills in Senate, etc) policy committee cut-off is next Wednesday, 29 March. We’re past that with the five bills we’re following. The fiscal committee cut-off is the following Tuesday, 4 April. HBs 1100, 1612 and SB 5268 are awaiting that hurdle.
BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:
SHB 1100 CPL renewal notice
Blake (D-19) S. W&M SUPPORT
HB 1501 Illegal purchase of firearms
Hansen (D-23) S. L&J SUPPORT
2SHB 1612 Suicide prevention
Orwall (D-33) S. W&M SUPPORT
SB 5268 CPL renewal notice
Takko (D-19) H. Aprop SUPPORT
SB 5552 Certain exemptions to I-594
Pedersen (D-43) H. Rules SUPPORT
L&J = Law & Justice, Jud = Judiciary, HumSer = Human Services, Aprop = Appropriations, Fin = Finance, W&M = Ways & Means “S” before a bill number indicates Substitute (amended).
PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED:
None
LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!!
1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993
OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature’s web site at “www.leg.wa.gov“. Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe’s web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need “RealAudio” to do this, available free at the TVW web site). Each bill’s web page contains a link to any public hearing at the bottom of the page.
By reading the House and Senate “bill reports” (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the “roll call” for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]“. Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at “[email protected]” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.
If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “[email protected]” with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.
Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Puyallup 25-26 March
Puyallup 29-30 April
“The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.”
Article 1, Section 24
Constitution of the State of Washington
GOAL Post 2017-11
Legislative Update from Olympia 17 March 2017
SECOND HALF OF SESSION BEGINS
ONE BILL MOVES
BILLS SCHEDULED FOR HEARINGS
SECOND CHAMBER POLICY COMMITTEE CUT-OFF
The committee hearing/vote/floor session cycle has started all over again, after the 8 March original chamber cut-off. As House bills move through the Senate and vice versa, the next critical cut-off date is Wednesday, 29 March — nearly two weeks off. The second half of the long session is off to a slow start. Of the five gun bills we are tracking, two had public hearings (1612 and 5268) and one passed out of committee (5552).
Senate Bill 5552, relaxing SOME of the background checks under I-594, passed out of 5552 amended and out of the House Judiciary Committee on what appeared to be a unanimous a voice vote on Wednesday. The bill was amended in committee to add firearms loaned to veterans color guards to the list of background check exemptions.
Recall this is the bill that COULD be amended to add CPL holders to the exemption list. That would change it from minor tweaks to a major pro-gun bill. But that’s going to take pressure from constituents. The bill can be further amended on the House floor at the end of March/early April..
At this point, two bills (1100, 1501) are scheduled for public hearings and an executive session for 5268. Details below.
BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:
SHB 1100 CPL renewal notice
Blake (D-19) S. L&J SUPPORT
HB 1501 Illegal purchase of firearms
Hansen (D-23) S. L&J SUPPORT
2SHB 1612 Suicide prevention
Orwall (D-33) S. HumSerSUPPORT
SB 5268 CPL renewal notice
Takko (D-19) H. Jud. SUPPORT
SB 5552 Certain exemptions to I-594
Pedersen (D-43) H. Rules SUPPORT
L&J = Law & Justice, Jud = Judiciary, HumSer = Human Services, Aprop = Appropriations, Fin = Finance, W&M = Ways & Means “S” before a bill number indicates Substitute (amended).
PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED:
21 Mar Senate Law & Justice Senate Hearing Room “4” John A. Cherberg Bldg
10:00 a.m. HB 1100
22 Mar House Judiciary House Hearing Room “A” John L. O’Brien Bldg
8:00 a.m. SB 5268 (executive session)
23 Mar Senate Law & Justice Senate Hearing Room “4” John L. O’Brien Bldg
10:00 a.m. SB 1501
LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!!
1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993
OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature’s web site at “www.leg.wa.gov“. Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe’s web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need “RealAudio” to do this, available free at the TVW web site). Each bill’s web page contains a link to any public hearing at the bottom of the page.
By reading the House and Senate “bill reports” (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the “roll call” for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]“. Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at “[email protected]” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.
If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “[email protected]” with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.
Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Puyallup 25-26 March
Puyallup 29-30 April
“The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.”
Article 1, Section 24
Constitution of the State of Washington
GOAL Post 2017-10
Legislative Update from Olympia – 10 March 2017
CHAMBER CUT-OFF PASSES, MORE BILLS DIE
BILL TRACKING LIST NARROWED
PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED
IT’S NOT OVER TIL IT’S OVER
MOUNT RAINIER FRIENDS OF NRA BANQUET
5 p.m. on Wednesday was chamber cut-off: House bills that had not passed out of the House, and Senate bills that had not passed out of the Senate, died for the session. We are now down to a very manageable list of five bills to follow. 34 gun bills were filed this year, nowhere near the 60+ filed in the last two year biennium. And as is typical, most never passed the half-way mark.
As the 5 o’clock bell rang in Olympia on Wednesday, the House still hadn’t reached HBs 1122, 1483 and 1731. The Senate stopped short of SB 5506. So those bills should be considered dead for the session, but the Senate version of HB 1731, SB 5552, is still running in the House. Keep in mind, too, that this is the first year of a biennium, meaning all the bills filed this year that did not make it can be called back next year. Or during any special session.
And now there are five. HB 1100, HB 1501, HB 1612, SB 5268 and SB 5552 Two of the bills are essentially duplicates: HB 1100 and SB 5268 both mandate mailing a renewal notice 90 days before a CPL expires, a long overdue fix. The HB 1100 was amended in the House, so it will have to be reconciled with SB 5268 in the next four weeks. HB 1501 requires FFLs to notify the State Patrol of NICS denials, who are then directed to initiate an investigation (many/most of which will go nowhere because of misidentifications). HB 1612 promotes suicide awareness education. And SB 5552 is the Senate version of the minor tweaks to I-594 background checks (e.g. no check required for in-laws, or for loans at the range where the owner stays with the firearm).
Not much of a positive outcome midway through, but if you look at all the anti-gun bills filed, it’s encouraging to see none got traction. We’re not going to see pro-gun bills sail through until a pro-gun House is put in place to match a pro-gun Senate.
Public hearings will be conducted on HB 1612 and SB 5268. SB 5552 will be subject to an executive session (committee vote). Details below.
We’re halfway through the session, and already the bill list is down to five. But it’s not over yet. And should a shooting incident occur that “fits” one of these bills, you can expect them to try and revive it. The fat lady doesn’t sing until midnight on 23 April!
The Mount Rainier chapter of Friends of NRA will conduct its 24th annual Friends of NRA dinner and auction at the Emerald Queen Casino Conference Center in Fife on Saturday, April 8th. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. and dinner starts at 7:00. Nearly three dozen guns and hundreds of other prizes will be raffled off. If you have never attended one, I strongly urge you to consider it. It’s a great event for a fun cause. For additional information call (253) 841-7113 or e-mail “[email protected].”
BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:
SHB 1100 CPL renewal notice
Blake (D-19) S. L&J SUPPORT
SHB 1122 Safe storage of firearms
Kagi (D-32) DIED OPPOSE
HB 1483 Allows destruction of forfeited firearms
Lovick (D-44) DIED OPPOSE
HB 1501 Illegal purchase of firearms
Hansen (D-23) S. L&J SUPPORT
2SHB 1612 Suicide prevention
Orwall (D-33) S. HumSer SUPPORT
SB 5268 CPL renewal notice
Takko (D-19) H. Jud. SUPPORT
SSB 5506 Transfer of firearms at non-profit events
Zeiger (R-25) DIED SUPPORT
SB 5552 Certain exemptions to I-594
Pedersen (D-43) H. Jud SUPPORT
L&J = Law & Justice, Jud = Judiciary, HumSer = Human Services, Aprop = Appropriations, Fin = Finance, W&M = Ways & Means “S” before a bill number indicates Substitute (amended).
PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED:
14 Mar Senate Human Services Senate Hearing Room “2” John A. Cherberg Bldg
1:30 p.m. HB 1612
15 Mar House Judiciary House Hearing Room “A” John L. O’Brien Bldg
8:00 a.m. SB 5268
16 Mar House Judiciary House Hearing Room “A” John L. O’Brien Bldg
1:30 p.m. SB 5552 (executive session)
LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!!
1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993
OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature’s web site at “www.leg.wa.gov“. Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe’s web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need “RealAudio” to do this, available free at the TVW web site). Each bill’s web page contains a link to any public hearing at the bottom of the page.
By reading the House and Senate “bill reports” (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the “roll call” for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]“. Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at “[email protected]” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.
If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “[email protected]” with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.
Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Puyallup 25-26 March
Puyallup 29-30 April
“The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.”
Article 1, Section 24
Constitution of the State of Washington
GOAL Post 2017-9
Legislative Update from Olympia – 3 March 2017
HBs 1100, 1501 AND 1612 PASS HOUSE
FOUR BILLS STILL AWAIT A VOTE
CHAMBER CUT-OFF IS NEXT WEDNESDAY
GRASSROOTS HELP NEEDED ON HB 1731
PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR SB 5552
From a gun bill perspective, this has been a slow week. HB 1100 (CPL renewal notices) passed out of the House, but in amended form (the Senate version, SB 5268) passed clean last week). That means the two versions will have to be reconciled, either by one chamber accepting the other’s language, or by a conference committee later in the session. HB 1501 (reporting of NICS denials) and HB 1612 also passed the House. All are headed for Senate Law & Justice.
At week’s end, one other gun bill is on the House floor calendar: HB 1731 (I-594 tweaks). Three others, HBs 1122 and 1483, and SB 5506, have yet to be placed on their respective (House or Senate) floor calendar. The cut-off is next Wednesday, 8 March. Note that, historically, non-controversial bills are generally moved first to “clear the deck” for those with major disagreement.
As it sits right now, HB 1731, like SB 5222, makes some minor tweaks to ease some of the background check burden imposed by I-594 by adding a few more small exceptions to the requirement. An amendment to HB 1731, proposed by retread (he previously served in the House from 1995-2001) Representative John Koster (R-39) would make a significant change by allowing transfers without background checks if both parties to the transaction were Washington CPL holders.
The ATF has already acknowledged our CPL meets the highest federal standard by designating Washington a “NICS Alternative state” for federal checks (blocked by I-594), in addition to which it has passed by an internal Washington state criminal history check plus a Dept of Social and Health Services check. Plus CPL holders have a track record of good behavior, something someone walking off the street into a gun shop may not have. This is about the most common sense rationale you could use for a 594-waiver. If pre-cleared individuals are not granted a waiver, this clearly demonstrates that I-594 was not about background checks but about gun registration via FFL recordkeeping (something “background check” supporters continue to deny, admitted in public testimony in the Senate back in 1997 – “we want the audit trail”).
A public hearing is scheduled for SB 5552 (limited I-594 exemptions) in House Judiciary on Thursday, March 9, This is the first of the gun bills that passed out of one chamber to now start its way through the second. See details below.
BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:
HB 1000 Use of deadly force
Doglio (D-22) DIED OPPOSE
HB 1004 Possession of firearms/state of emergency
Shea (R-4) DIED. SUPPORT
HB 1015 Limiting restrictions on concealed carry
Shea (R-4) DIED. SUPPORT
SHB 1100 CPL renewal notice
Blake (D-19) Passed House SUPPORT
SHB 1122 Safe storage of firearms
Kagi (D-32) H. Rules OPPOSE
HB 1134 Assault weapon ban
Peterson (D) DIED. OPPOSE
HB 1181 Prohibiting handgun sales registry
Blake (D-19) DIED. SUPPORT
HB 1174 Firearm safety education in schools
Muri (R-28) DIED SUPPORT
HB 1190 Prohibiting handgun sales registry
Taylor (R-15) DIED. SUPPORT
HB 1270 Encouraging voluntary use of locking devices H
armsworth (R-44) DIED SUPPORT
HB 1380 Repeals I-594
Shea (R-4) DIED. SUPPORT
HB 1381 Universal recognition of all state CPLs
Blake (D-19) DIED. SUPPORT
HB 1483 Allows destruction of forfeited firearms
Lovick (D-44) H. Rules OPPOSE
HB 1501 Illegal purchase of firearms
Hansen (D-23) Passed House SUPPORT
HB 1529 Use of force
Ryu (D-32) DIED OPPOSE
HB 1592 Delivery of firearms to LEOs
Klippert (R) DIED. SUPPORT
2SHB 1612 Suicide prevention
Orwall (D-33) Passed House SUPPORT
HB 1725 I-594 check exemption for CPL holders
Koster (R-44) DIED SUPPORT
HB 1731 Certain exemptions to I-594
Jinkins (D-27) H. Rules SUPPORT
HB 1900 Hunter ed funding/NRA license plates
Griffey (R-35) DIED . NEUTRAL
HB 1933 Transfer of firearms at non-profit events
Walsh (R-19) DIED. SUPPORT
SB 5000 Use of deadly force
McCoy (D-38) DIED OPPOSE
SB 5050 Assault weapon ban
Frockt (D-3) DIED OPPOSE
SB 5073 Use of force
McCoy (D-38) DIED OPPOSE
SB 5216 Firearm safety education in schools
O’Ban (R-28) DIED SUPPORT
SB 5268 CPL renewal notice
Takko (D-19) Passed Senate SUPPORT
SB 5441 Involuntary freeze on firearm possession
Kuderer (D) DIED NEUTRAL
SB 5444 Background check for “assault weapons”
Frockt (D-46) DIED OPPOSE
SB 5463 Mandatory safe storage of firearms
Palumbo (D) DIED OPPOSE
SSB 5506 Transfer of firearms at non-profit events
Zeiger (R-25) S. Rules SUPPORT
SB 5552 Certain exemptions to I-594
Pedersen (D-43) Passed Senate SUPPORT
SB 5553 Suicidal, waiver of rights
Pedersen (D-43) DIED NEUTRAL
SB 5795 Mandatory firearm liability insurance
Chase (D-32) DIED OPPOSE
L&J = Law & Justice, Jud = Judiciary, PubSaf = Public Safety, HC = Health Care, H. K-12 = House Early education, Aprop = Appropriations, Fin = Finance, W&M = Ways & Means “S” before a bill number indicates Substitute (amended).
PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED:
9 Mar House Judiciary House Hearing Room “A” John L. O’Brien Bldg
1:30 p.m. SB 5552
LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Toll free!!! The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993. Also toll free!!!
1-800-562-6000 TDD 1-800-635-9993
OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature’s web site at “www.leg.wa.gov“. Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe’s web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573. Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000. You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need “RealAudio” to do this, available free at the TVW web site). Each bill’s web page contains a link to any public hearing at the bottom of the page.
By reading the House and Senate “bill reports” (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the “roll call” for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to “[email protected]“. Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at “[email protected]” or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.
If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at “[email protected]” with the words “Unsubscribe GOAL Post” in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a list, you must contact that list’s admin to unsubscribe.
Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Puyallup 25-26 March
Puyallup 29-30 April
“The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.”
Article 1, Section 24
Constitution of the State of Washington