NOTE: This is posted late, through no fault of Mr. Waldron. This is your friendly web-dude speaking and I have been largely struck down with a nasty head and chest cold since Wednesday. My apologies for the late posting, but I do better work when I can actually think.
GOAL Post 2016-2
Legislative Update from Olympia 15 January 2016
LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
INDEPENDENTS LEAD DEMOCRATS OR REPUBLICANS
BEAU COUP NEW BILLS FILED
GUN BILL DAY IN HOUSE JUDICIARY
The legislature adopted its calendar for the 2016 regular session.The
legislative calendar sets dates by which bills must clear various
hurdles.A bill that fails to clear the policy committee or chamber floor
by the designated date is generally considered dead for the year,
although they may be “resurrected” by parliamentary procedure. Be sure to check the legislative calendar!
A recent Gallup poll indicates more voters identify as politically
“independent” over either the Democrat or Republican parties.42% of
those polled self-identified as independents, while 29% called
themselves Democrats and 26% Republicans.Both major parties have been
losing fans for several years.Dissatisfaction with
partisan-politics-as-usual is at an all-time high.How that will play out
in the elections remains to be seen.
Nine new gun-related bills were filed this week, most anti-gun.HB 2372,
by Rep. Senn (D-41) mandates destruction of firearms forfeited to
police; HB 2374, also by Rep. Senn, imposes a tax on ammunition sales;
HB 2460, by Rep. Walkinshaw (D-43), guts state preemption,; HB 2461, by
Rep. Jinkins (D-27) revisits extreme protection orders; HB 2481, by Rep.
Blake (D-19) allows short-barreled rifles; HB 2553, by Rep. Wilson
(R-17) guarantees possession and use of arms in a declared state of
emergency; HB 2603, by Rep. Kuderer (D-48) mental health and guns; SB
6267, by Sen. Schoesler (R-9) requires CPL renewal notice; and SB 6310,
by Sen. Jayapal, mandatory gun storage.It would appear the Democrats are
looking at 2016 as a gun control year, at least in the House.
House Judiciary chair Rep. Laurie Jinkins has designated Thursday,
January 21st as House gun bill day, the first of this session. At 1:30
p.m. she will take testimony on five gun bills in a public hearing: four
of them anti-gun, one pro.HBs 1747 (lock up your gun), 2461 (extreme
protective orders), 2372 (destruction of forfeited firearms), 2460 (more
gun free zones) and 2481 (allows short-barreled rifles) are all on the
agenda.
HB 1747 does nothing but demonize guns.It’s already considered reckless
endangerment to leave ANYTHING out that might harm a child: not just
guns, but toxic fluids, cleaning agents, bleach, etc.
HB 2461 broadens the opportunity for a family member, household member
or law enforcement to petition a judge to take away your guns – no
mental health professional involvement necessary.Have an argument with
your significant other?They might come after your guns.
HB 2372 requires law enforcement agencies to destroy forfeited
firearms.Current law allows them to be auctioned off to FFLs where they
may returned to service, with required background checks.This is more
demonization of guns because they think guns are veil.
One of the most important gun laws in Washington is RCW 9.41.290 – State
Preemption.This means that, with certain limited exceptions, only the
state legislature may pass gun laws in the state.Counties and cities are
prohibited from writing their own laws.This has been law since the early
1980s and has served as a model for other states.But obviously the other
side doesn’t like this. The latest attack on preemption comes in HB
2460, Walkinshaw (D-43), that would allow political subdivisions to ban
guns in parks and recreational facilities, libraries, and on public
transportation.Coming on the heels of a judge’s decision that Seattle’s
gun and ammunition tax didn’t violate preemption (currently under
appeal), this is the most serious attempt yet to overturn this
critically important law.
And the one good gun bill, HB 2481, which would allow Washington
citizens to possess short-barreled rifles, provided they complied with
federal law ($200 federal tax, extensive background check, restrictions
on movement).Short-barreled rifles AND shotguns were legal until 1994,
but once again, the “guns are evil” crowd prevailed and had them banned.
Note that the position on HB 1119 has changed from SUPPORT to
OPPOSE.This change is based on a request from the Hunters Heritage
Council and other hunting groups who oppose the bill for two reasons:it
allows a fee to be collected for heretofore free Hunter Ed classes, and
it sets a minimum age for youth hunting (8 for accompanied, 14
unaccompanied). HHC believes the parent is the best judge of when a
youngster is mature enough to hunt.The focus of GOAL Post, and my
expertise, is in the area of firearms law, not hunting regulations.I am
deferring to their judgment.
2016 Legislative Session
Bill # Position |
Subject | Prime Sponsor | Status |
HB 1119 OPPOSE |
Hunter education issues | Blake (D-19) | H Ag |
HB 1191 SUPPORT | CPL Renewal Notices | Taylor (R-15) | H. Aprop. |
HB 1193 SUPPORT |
Prohibiting gun owner data base | Taylor (R-15) | H Jud |
HB 1245 SUPPORT |
Repeals I-594 | Shea (R-4) | H Jud |
HB 1324 SUPPORT |
Codifies castle doctrine and stand your ground | Shea (R-4) | H Jud |
HB 1433 SUPPORT |
Modifies Gun Free School Zone law | Scott (R-38) | H Jud |
HB 1442 SUPPORT |
Exp. economic development via firearms/ammo | G. Hunt (R-2) | H Jud |
HB 1474 SUPPORT |
Defense against animal attack | Taylor (R-15) | H Jud |
HB 1506 SUPPORT |
Exempts security guard transfers from I-594 | Kirby (D-29) | H Jud |
HB 1521 SUPPORT |
Returns NICS “delay” to three days (I-594) | Taylor (R-15) | H Jud |
HB 1533 SUPPORT |
Exempts guns loaned to museums from I-594 | Van Werven (R-42) | H Jud |
HB 1535 SUPPORT |
Exempts active LEOs from waiting period | Klippert (R-8) | H Jud |
HB 1594 OPPOSE |
Imitation firearms | Wylie (D-49) | H Jud |
HB 1692 OPPOSE |
Imitation firearms | Wylie (D-49) | H Jud |
HB 1713 OPPOSE |
Mental health/guns | Cody (D-34) | H Rules |
HB 1722 OPPOSE |
Short barreled rifles | Hayes (R-10) | H Jud |
HB 1747 OPPOSE |
Safe storage of firearms | Kagi (D-32) | H Jud |
HB 1857 OPPOSE |
Extreme protective orders | Jinkins (D-27) | H. Aprop. |
HB 1886 SUPPORT |
Repeals I-594 by popular vote | Hunt (R-2) | H Jud |
HB 2031 SUPPORT |
Tax exemption for firearm safety devices | Harmsworth (R-44) | H Jud |
HB 2088 SUPPORT |
Lowers age for CPL from 21 to 18 | Shea (R-4) | H Jud |
HB 2089 SUPPORT |
Expands CPL reciprocity; lowers age to 18 | Shea (R-4) | H Jud |
HB 2164 SUPPORT |
Broad list of exceptions to I-594 background checks | Shea (R-4) | H Jud |
*HB 2325 SUPPORT |
Requires superintendent of public instruction to develop gun safety & hunter ed HS course. | Muri (R-28) | H. Edu |
*HB 2354 OPPOSE |
Ban “Assault Weapons”, Normal Magazines | Moeller (D-49) | H Jud |
*HB 2372 OPPOSE |
Mandatory destruction of firearms held by law enforcement agencies | Senn (D-41) | H Jud |
*HB 2410 Pending |
Firearm Felony Registry | Hayes (R-10) |
H Jud |
*HB 2460 OPPOSE |
Crippling Preemption | Walkingshaw (D-43) |
H Jud |
*HB 2481 SUPPORT |
Short-Barreled Rifles | Blake (D-19) |
H Jud |
*HB 2514 Pending |
NRA License Plate Hunter Ed Funding |
Griffey (R-35) |
H Trans |
*HB 2553 SUPPORT |
Possession of arms/state of emergency | Wilson (R-17) | H Jud |
*HB 2603 OPPOSE |
Mental health & guns | Kuderer (D-48) |
H Jud |
SSB 5036 NEUTRAL |
Penalizes criminal misuse of body armor | O’Ban (R-28) |
S. Rules |
SB 5476 SUPPORT |
Exempts active LEOs from waiting period | Dammeier (R-25) | S L&J |
SB 5500 SUPPORT |
Allows retired LEOs to carry on school grounds | Roach (R-31) |
S. Rules |
SB 5539 SUPPORT |
Exempts LEO’s from three day waiting period | Roach (R-31) |
S. Rules |
SSB 5579 SUPPORT |
Exempts licensed scty guards from b/g checks | Dammeier (R-25) | S. Rules |
SB 5615 SUPPORT |
Exempts military members from b/g checks | Benton (R-17) |
S. Rules |
SB 5643 OPPOSE |
Mental health/guns | O’Ban (R-28) |
S Ment Hlth |
SB 5658 NEUTRAL |
Reporting of mental health commitment | Dansel (R-7) |
S. Rules |
SB 5727 OPPOSE |
Extreme protective orders | Frockt (D-46) |
S L&J |
SB 5789 OPPOSE |
Safe storage of firearms | Kohl-Welles (D-36) | S L&J |
SB 5831 SUPPORT |
Restoration of firearm rights | Honeyford (R-15) | S. Rules |
SB 6015 SUPPORT |
NRA license plate | Roach (R-31) |
S. Rules |
*SB 6158 SUPPORT |
Transfer of firearms at nonprofit fund-raisers. | Dammeier (R-25) | S L&J |
*SB 6165 SUPPORT |
Short Barrel Rifles |
Takko (D-19) |
S L&J |
*SB 6267 SUPPORT |
CPL Expiration Notice |
Schoesler (R-9) |
S L&J |
*SB 6310 OPPOSE |
Safe Storage |
Jayapal (D-37) |
S L&J |
Key to abbreviations:S. = Senate, H. = House, Jud = Judiciary, K-12 =
Education, L&J = Law & Justice, Trans = Transportation, W&M = Ways and Means
HEARINGS SCHEDULED:
HB 1747 21 January OPPOSE |
House Judiciary 1:30 p.m. |
House Hearing Room A | John L. O’Brien Office Bldg |
HB 2372 21 January OPPOSE |
House Judiciary 1:30 p.m. |
House Hearing Room A | John L. O’Brien Office Bldg |
HB 2460 21 January OPPOSE |
House Judiciary 1:30 p.m. |
House Hearing Room A | John L. O’Brien Office Bldg |
HB 2461 21 January SUPPORT |
House Judiciary 1:30 p.m. |
House Hearing Room A | John L. O’Brien Office Bldg |
HB 2481 21 January SUPPORT |
House Judiciary 1:30 p.m. |
House Hearing Room A | John L. O’Brien Office Bldg |
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!!!
1-800-562-6000TDD 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).
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]” or 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.
Upcoming WAC gun show(s):
Monroe 23-24 January
Monroe 13-14 February
“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
Copyright 2016 Gun Owners Action League of WA
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