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.