Gun control initative 1639 back on ballot

The Washington state Supreme Court has ruled that the proposed gun-restriction measure, Initiative 1639, will appear on November’s election ballot.  The Thurston Superior Court had ruled that the initiative did not conform to rules for initiatives.

But a four-page order released Friday and signed by Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst reversed the lower court’s ruling.

State law “does not allow for pre-election judicial review of the form, process, substance, or constitutionality of an initiative petition,” according to the order.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman had expressed concerns about the formatting of the petitions, but said she had no legal authority to block it from the ballot. The justices on Friday noted that in their decision.

The gun restriction initiative campaign relied on lavish contributions from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, and venture capitalist Nick Hanauer.

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg's personal gun-ban front group, "Everytown for Gun Safety," donated $250,000.

If enacted, I-1639 will

• raises the purchase age to 21 for semi-auto rifles
• mandate training
• enhanced background checks
• waiting periods
• require owners to keep firearms secured
• leave lawful gun owners to face criminal charges if someone prohibited from possessing a weapon takes a lawfully owned firearm. 

If enacted, I'm sure I-1639 will save zero lives -- but the rich will never let the People's right to self-defense get in the way of nervous authoritarian control.

Source https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-supreme-court-puts-gun-regulations-measure-i-1639-back-on-november-ballot/ 

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Impolite is against restrictions on the People's rights.

I-1639 strongly resembles the bills the legislature was bandying about last session, primarily Substitute Senate Bill 5444.  Also see Impolite's articles on Gun Control Washington follow up,  Civilian gun restriction plans in Washington State, and Attorney General Bob Ferguson calls for Gun Bans.

Its clear that if  I-1639 ballots a yes, then even though the Washington State Supreme Court must overturn it for the same reasons Thurston County did, the authoritarian left in the legislature will be emboldened to enact similar bans. 

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Washington State Constitution, Article 1, Section 24: RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. 

"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."  [A citizen has the right to be armed, but not to form a private army].