Proposed WA Bill Would Allow City, County, Local ‘Gun’ Control
According to information from the legislature and The Center Square, WA House Democrats are pushing a bill that would allow cities to pass their own gun control laws.
House Bill 1178 would remove legislature's 'right' to enact laws.
This bill would repeal what is called the "pre-emptive" statute in our state, which currently makes the legislature the only entity who can pass, repeal or modify firearms laws and regulate them.
Democrat House Rep David Hackney of Tukwila and others are sponsoring the bill, claiming high crime rates in their districts demand more action.
Supporters who testified at the bill's hearing claim cities and even counties should be able to further regulate firearms if they believe it will help mitigate crime, according to information from The Center Square.
However, opposition came from the NRA as well as Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels. Aoibheann Cline, who is the NRA's WA State Director, said this about the idea: (by way of the Center Square):
“Under Washington’s current preemption statute, the laws that apply to how you register, license, possess, purchase, sell, transfer, and store your firearm are uniform, If House Bill 1178 passes, in that stretch of just 100 miles you will encounter 14 different jurisdictions, with patchworked laws and regulations.
“In one county, your firearm can be concealed. In the next, it must be locked and unloaded in the trunk during transit. In the next, completely banned.”
Sheriff Nowels backed up the NRA statements and said it would be unreasonable for citizens to be required to have knowledge of each city or jurisdiction's own gun laws. He said our current law works fine and is the model used by at least 20 other states.
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