Seattle agrees to pay $3.65M to CHAZ/CHOP business owners

The city of Seattle has agreed to pay $3,650,000 in damages to business owners who brought suit after the deadly 2020 Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) damaged their business, property, and violated their constitutional rights. The group had originally sought $2.9 million [Post Millennial].

In a statement, plaintiff Attorney Angelo Calfo said residents and businesses will be “compensated for the city’s mishandling of CHOP that resulted in a significant increase in crime and even loss of life.” Additionally, Calfo said the lawsuit exposed the cover-up that high-ranking officials destroyed text communications [King 5].

Now if the city would clean up the streets and reduce the crime problems... .

WA Senate Bill 5078 to bankrupt firearm suppliers (updated)

Updated March 2, 2023

SB 5078 promotes the authritarian anti-gun zealots to bankrupt a lawful, and highly regulated, industry with frivolous lawsuits, in order to deny access to Second Amendment rights to law-abiding citizens.

At a little after five on Thursday, I got this email:

I’ve very disappointed to report that SB 5078 was just passed from the Senate on a near-party-line vote, with all Democrats (except one) voting yes, and all Republicans voting NO.

The bill will now go over to the House of Representatives for their consideration.

Yours in service,

Senator Lynda Wilson

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This Friday, the Senate Ways & Means Committee will hold an executive session to consider Senate Bill 5078.

SB 5078 would allow anti-gun zealots to bankrupt the firearm industry with endless, frivolous lawsuits.  Please contact the Ways and Means committee members and ask them to OPPOSE SB 5078 - click here..

SB 5078 aims to undermine the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) and subject licensed firearm manufacturers and sellers to frivolous lawsuits, brought against them for criminal misuse of their products that is beyond their control.

Protection of the firearms industry is necessary because our legal system should not punish anyone for the criminal actions of others. This bill simply seeks to sue the firearms industry out of existence in the state of Washington.  It is an obvious attempt to disarm the People by this sneaky method.

Besides, the firearms industry supplies thousands of jobs in Washington.  And the excise tax on the sale and purchase of firearms, ammunition, and accessories produces millions of dollars for conservation from Pittman-Robertson money.  Thus the bill would eliminate thousands of jobs and deprive the state of millions of dollars annually.

Most significantly, without the firearms suppliers, Washington citizens will not have access to firearms and ammunition and the fundamental right to keep and bear arms.

As always, the National Rifle Association is on our side in this.  You can click on this link to register you opposition to the entire committee.   

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"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."    --   Washington Constitution Art. 1, § 24

 

 

HB 1832 - To Implement a per mile charge on vehicle usage of public roadways.

The state is eying the elimination of internal combustion engine driven vehicles from the state's future starting in 2030. Eliminating internal combustion without adequate electricity generation or a sufficient  distribution network is premature.  Plus they always want more tax money from the public -- an unstated  purpose of this bill.

HB 1832  From the House's own summary of bill:

Sets January 1, 2030 as the target date for implementation of a comprehensive, mandatory Road Usage Charge Program.

Establishes a voluntary Road Usage Charge Program (RUC Program) beginning July 1, 2025, which places a 2.5 cent per mile fee on motor vehicle usage of public roadways in the state.  

Waives the electric and hybrid-electric vehicle registration renewal fees and the transportation electrification fees for vehicles participating in the voluntary RUC Program.

Limits the total per-mile fee for only electric and hybrid-electric vehicles to the combined amount of electric and hybrid-electric vehicle registration renewal and transportation electrification fees that would otherwise be due if they had not been waived.

Reduces the annual per-mile fee by a fee credit in the amount of the motor vehicle fuel tax that is determined by the Department of Licensing, either constructively or actually, to correspond to a participating vehicle's annual motor vehicle fuel usage.

Requires that the Washington State Transportation Commission pursue federal grant funding opportunities for which the RUC Program is eligible.

Mandates that proceeds from the Road Usage Charge Program be used for transportation system preservation and maintenance purposes.

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If you wish to state your position on for the public legislative record, please do so at this link

If you wish to provide written testimony about the bill, please do that here.

If you wish to testify in-person before the committee in Olympia, please register for on site testimony  

If you wish to testify remotely via internet, you need to register for live remote testimony.

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This bill is complex and a little confusing.  That plus the legislature seems to have introduced the bill without telling the public as required by Initiative 960.

Initiative 960 requires that the Office of Financial Management of  determine the ten-year cost to taxpayers of any proposed legislation that would raise taxes, impose new fees, or increase current fees and communicate the most up-to-date analysis to each member of the Legislature, the news media, and the public through email.

An email with the analysis, along with required information about sponsors, committee members and legislators' voting records, will be sent out through out via email when a bill is introduced, when a public hearing for the bill is scheduled, and when a bill is passed by a legislative committee or either house of the Legislature.  From the Washington state tax & fee webpage.

WA Senate passes new gun restriction

Senate Bill 5006 turns a suicide prevention measure into a prohibition on an individual’s Second Amendment rights. 

When an individual in crisis needs help and takes the initiative to admit they need help, this measure will  brand them a person prohibited from gun ownership.   This also involves law enforcement agencies, and imposes civil penalties -- this is not the way to help them.

Today, the Washington state senate voted 36-12 to pass Senate Bill 5006, an anti-gun bill that hijacks a suicide prevention measure. It will now go to the House for further consideration. 

As always, the National Rifle Association is aiding the resistance to this overbearing move.   Please contact your state representative and ask them to OPPOSE SB 5006 via this link.

If you'd prefer to contact your representative directly, you can look up their email here.  

The legislative districts have recently been redrawn.  Get a copy of the statewide legislative district map  here.  Then you can see who your representative is on this list.

SB 5707 – Housing Court Pilot Program Hearing: Tuesday, February 14 at 10:30 a.m.

Sign to testify in opposition of SB 5707 in the Senate Law & Justice Committee.  The SL&J committee must be contacted quickly.  (You can also simply state that you are opposed -- see the links below.  Sorry about the rush.  The notice of the hearing was slow in coming out.

SB 5707  Bill Summary

• Creates a new Housing Court Pilot Program inside District Court for counties in Western Washington with a population of 2 million or more (King County).
• Creates a new Housing Court Pilot Program inside District Court for counties in Eastern Washington with a population of 500,000 or more (Spokane County).
• Applies to tenancies under RCW 59.12 and RCW 59.19
• Includes case management that "should" result in efficient use and time.
• Court facilitator to assist both parties (housing provider and resident).
• Provide "non-adversarial" methods of dispute resolution such as a settlement conference and mediation by attorney mediators.
• Sealing of eviction records.
• Judicial officers are required to complete training program and subsequent training for a minimum of 8 hours annually.
• Report to the State December 24, 2024, and each year thereafter.
• Effective date January 1, 2024.
• Expires July 1, 2033.

 Flaws

• The Dispute Resolution Center is an ineffective and tedious process. How will this program be an improvement?
• This program will impose immense financial and administrative burden on the counties that implement it.
• Sealing eviction records suppresses relevant information for future housing providers.
• There are already cities in Washington who cannot deny a resident based on eviction history.
• This will slow down the eviction process which could lead to further harm to property or other residents in some circumstances.

HB 1333 -- state surveillance of political enemies

HB 1333 is a direct assault on free speech and a major abuse of power. This bill would target individuals and groups that the Attorney General's office views as 'extremeists.'

We have already seen how the left and their media allies have branded groups opposed to abortions, mandates, lockdowns and more as 'domestic extremists'.  This bill is a government enforced extension of that rhetoric. This means that the government could potentially go after those who have politically different views but have not committed any acts of violence.

We can also assume this will not be used against those actually perpetrating political violence - such as Antifa and other leftwing groups that took over our streets in the summer of 2020 or the growing attacks against pregnancy resource centers in our state.

This bill is unAmerican and should not be passed. Register your CON position against this bill here before 3PM today.

WA legislature gun control efforts continue

Resistance is called for.

The latest: February 8^th, at 4:00PM, the House Appropriations Committee will hear House Bill 1143, to impose 

• Firearm permit to purchase requirement
• A training mandate
• A 10-day waiting period scheme
  
• Allow indefinite delays on firearm transfers

This bill is gaining an unpleasant amount of strength in the Democratic Party controlled legislature.

The Appropriations Committee considers the fiscal impacts of the bill. HB 1143 is an unfunded gun-control mandate and will cost individuals hundreds to thousands of dollars to exercise their fundamental right to keep and bear arms. You are encouraged to oppose HB 1143 by noting their position for the legislative record and with in-person, remote, or written testimony. Click here for general information on how to participate in the committee process.

House Bill 1143 

• Denies law-abiding citizens their Second Amendment right to acquire firearms unless they obtain a government-issued permit. 
• The permit is only valid for five years and to obtain the permit, the state requires completion of official, sanctioned firearms training every five years. 
• It also imposes an arbitrary ten-day delay on prospective gun owners taking possession of their firearms and makes this delay longer or indefinite if the state fails to complete background check during that time.

I submitted written testimony.  These were my points:

• A firearms permit will do nothing to reduce violent crime.  Criminals do not follow the law.
• Mandating training is not compatible with the stated civil right of defense of self and state.  Perhaps the legislature should offer state financed training as an option.
• A ten day delay will not achieve anything positive if the innocent civilian needs self defense now.
• The potentially eternal delay is a plain denial of the express civil right of "individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself" as stated in the Washington state constitution, Article 1, Section 24.
• The state will need to spend millions of tax dollars against the justifiable claims of  the citizens groups will struggle to stop the legislature's gun control efforts.  Is this a legitimate use of the state's funds?
  

You can:

• Appear in person to testify in person during the hearing
• Schedule to testify remotely
• State your position noted for the legislative record
• Submit written testimony, like I did.
  

Please contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE HB 1143, and please consider testifying as well.

The National Riffle Association is a staunch ally.  They will also forward your objections to this bill to the committee members.  Click Here.

WA: Hearing scheduled & updates on other Anti-Gun bills

On February 9^th, the Senate Law and Justice Committee will hold a public hearing for Senate Bill 5232, the companion to House Bill 1144, which imposes a firearm permit requirement, a 10-day waiting period scheme, and allows indefinite delays on firearm transfers. The committee originally scheduled the bill for February 2^nd, but did not hear it. NRA members and Second Amendment supporters are encouraged to oppose SB 5232 by noting their position for the legislative record and with in-person, remote, or written testimony. Click here for more information on how to participate.

Please also contact committee members and ask them to OPPOSE SB 5232.

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Senate Bill 5232 requires an individual to ask government permission to exercise a constitutionally protected right. This bill impedes an individual's right to acquire firearms unless they complete official, sanctioned training every five years to obtain and maintain a permit. It also imposes an arbitrary ten-day delay on prospective gun owners taking possession of their firearms and makes this delay longer, or indefinite if the state fails to complete background checks during that time.

Last Friday, the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee passed House Bill 1240 and House Bill 1143. The bills are in the Rules Committee, where they can be brought to the Floor for a full House vote. The NRA organized Committee testimony and thousands of NRA members and 2A advocates opposed the bill. Thank you for your engagement! Keep up the opposition pressure: your voice is needed. Please contact your representative to OPPOSE HB 1240 and HB 1144. 

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House Bill 1240 is a comprehensive ban on transferring, importing, and manufacturing many semi-automatic firearms that law-abiding citizens commonly-own for self-defense, competition, and recreation. It bans enumerated firearm models on a list, semi-automatic rifles with an overall length of less than 30 inches, and any firearms with one or more proscribed features that exist on modern designs for making firearms more user-friendly, such as telescoping stocks meant to adjust the length of pull for users of different statures or wearing different clothing, muzzle brakes meant to reduce recoil, and grips conducive to the natural angles of human wrists. In addition, it also bans spare parts and “combination[s] of parts” that can be used to assemble banned firearms, but on their own are simply pieces of plastic or metal.

House Bill 1144 requires an individual to ask government permission to exercise a constitutionally protected right. This bill impedes an individual's right to acquire firearms unless they complete official, sanctioned training every five years. It also imposes an arbitrary ten-day delay on prospective gun owners taking possession of their firearms and makes this delay longer or indefinite if the state fails to complete background checks during that time.

On Tuesday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5078. NRA provided testimony in the Committee and thousands of NRA members and 2A advocates opposed the bill. Thank you again for your engagement! Keep up the opposition pressure: your voice is needed. Please contact committee members to OPPOSE SB 5078. 

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Senate Bill 5078 aims to undermine the PLCAA and subject licensed firearm manufacturers and sellers to frivolous lawsuits brought to recover damages for the criminal misuse of their products. Protecting the firearms industry, like other lawful industries, is necessary because our legal system generally does not punish anyone for the criminal actions of others. This bill simply seeks to sue the firearms industry out of existence in the state of Washington.

On Wednesday, Senate Bill 5006 was moved to Second Reading in the Senate Rules Committee. The bill is now eligible to receive a vote on the Senate Floor at any time. NRA provided testimony twice, in opposition to this bill, in the Senate Law and Justice Committee. Please contact your senator to OPPOSE SB 5006.

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Senate Bill 5006 turns a suicide prevention measure into a prohibition on an individual’s Second Amendment rights. When individuals in crisis need help and take the initiative to admit they need help, turning around and branding them a prohibited person, involving law enforcement agencies, and imposing civil penalties is not the way to help them.

Again, please contact lawmakers and ask them to OPPOSE these bills.

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Be sure to add your voice to every one of these campaigns to stop the infringement of our rights to self-defense. 

The alert is a reproduction of today's email from the National Rifle Association.