The Olympic Games As lawmakers once again debate tougher requirements to acquire and maintain firearms in the state, proponents of gun control argued for a number of amendments last week.
Legislators are debating a number of legislation this year that, among other things, would impose a new 11% tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition and require permits for gun transactions.
Sen. Majority Leader Jaime Pedersen, a Democrat from Seattle, stated that it is our responsibility as lawmakers to ensure that we are doing everything within our power to protect communities, in accordance with the data and experience of other states.
The Alliance for Gun Responsibility’s CEO, Renee Hopkins, stated on Tuesday that the state has made amazing strides in lowering gun violence.
We are aware that no one policy will be able to stop all forms of gun violence. According to Hopkins, reducing gun violence is a public health issue that requires a system of laws, protections, public education, and community-based initiatives to function together.
Hopkins claims that the annual number of firearm-related deaths in Washington, which includes suicide and conflict, exceeds 850.
However, one owner of a gun store in the Spokane area claimed that the new standards run the risk of forcing him out of business after lawmakers passed stricter laws in previous years.
According to Jeremy Ball, owner of Sharpshooting Indoor Range and Gun Shop, “we’ve banned semiautomatic rifles, extended waiting periods, and done all these different things in the last three or four years, and none of them have driven our crime rate down.” Therefore, the question is: Is that the main idea?
Permit-to-purchase laws, which Hopkins said have been shown to be among the best ways to prevent gun violence and save lives, are being pushed by the Alliance for Gun Safety this year.
Hopkins stated that it is time for Washington to advance and enhance the security of its citizens.
According to Pedersen, the plan would be in line with our ongoing efforts to prevent firearms from falling into the hands of those who shouldn’t own them. According to Pedersen, the law would assist guarantee that background checks are performed on the individual who buys the firearm instead of transferring it to another individual.
“The proposal builds on existing laws,” said Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, adding that it would work similarly to our current background check system.
According to Liias, this is the reason it’s crucial that we’ve taken steps to improve our background check procedure, our 10-day waiting periods, and our requirement for safety training.
Ball stated on Friday that requiring a permit before buying a rifle would be unnecessary and would further burden his company.
Ball, who owns the sole gun shop and shooting range in Spokane, claimed that the cost of constructing a new range would be exorbitant and that he is unable to meet the additional demand for training needed for a permit.
Another plan, if approved, would mandate that gun owners keep their weapons in lock boxes or lockable safes in their homes and cars. Proponents claim that this will limit access in the event of a suicide, domestic abuse, or unintentional shooting.
“We’re requiring gun owners to take responsibility to ensure their guns don’t fall into the wrong hands by focusing on storage in vehicles to prevent theft, the most common source of illegal firearms recovered at crime scenes and arrests,” said Rep. Jamila Taylor, D-Federal Way, who chairs the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee.
Ball claimed to be a strong supporter of lock boxes, which he demonstrated by partnering with other organizations to encourage storage and gifting 1,500 gun locks to local schools. He stated that although he loves the bill’s idea, he doesn’t think the one-size-fits-all approach is helpful.
“I have different storage needs, or requirements, than someone who is a single person and extremely proficient with a firearm because I have small children at home,” Ball said.
Ball claims that since Washington became the tenth state in the nation to outlaw semiautomatic guns in April 2023, his store has seen a 35% decline in sales. Ball claimed that additional limitations, including imposing an extra 11% tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition, would encourage potential customers in the Spokane region to cross state boundaries in order to make a purchase.
According to Ball, any non-serialized goods that are available for purchase outside of Washington state—such as long guns, ammo, firearm accessories, and pretty much anything else outside handguns—will be sold outside of the state. And it doesn’t mean that people in Washington won’t possess those things; rather, it means that the state of Washington won’t profit from the sales tax income, which will have an effect on all of the companies that sell those goods.
2025 The Spokane, Washington-based Spokesman-Review. Please go to www.spokesman.com. Tribune Content Agency, LLC is the distributor.
