BELLEVUE, WA – The Washington State House Judiciary Committee is meeting Thursday in Olympia for an executive session during which they will vote on two gun control measures, HB 1387 and HB 1122, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said.
“We are urging every gun owner in the state to contact committee members,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “House Bill 1387 requires licensing and registration of so-called ‘assault weapons’ and ‘large capacity’ ammunition magazines. The other bill, HB 1122, is a vaguely written attempt to micro-manage every gun owner in the state with a storage mandate that could criminalize anyone who does not comply.”
During testimony earlier this month, gun owners, collectors and retired law enforcement opposed the measures.
“HB 1387 is especially alarming because we’ve seen the same strategy before, in California, where an entire class of firearms has been gradually and increasingly restricted,” Gottlieb said. “The bill turns a right into a government-regulated privilege.”
Here’s what HB 1387 says:
(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a person shall not possess, manufacture, transport, purchase, acquire, transfer, deliver, import, sell, or offer to sell an assault weapon or large capacity magazine without being in possession of an assault weapon license issued pursuant to section 3 of this act.
(b) The assault weapon license must list each assault weapon or large capacity magazine currently in the license holder’s possession. A listed assault weapon must include the make, model, and manufacturer’s number. A listed large capacity magazine must include a description including the make, caliber, and capacity of the magazine.
CCRKBA encourages gun owners, especially the more than 100,000 people who could be directly affected by the licensing scheme, to contact the House Judiciary Committee members. Also, call the in-state toll-free Legislative Hotline at 800-562-6000 and leave a message for the committee, and your individual district representatives.