Another state is on its way to having a ban on assault weapons on the rhetorical books. This time, it’s in Washington where these efforts have been moving forward after recent progress seen in Illinois, facilitated in part by Democratic victories in last year’s midterm elections, when Trump target and incumbent J.B. Pritzker won another term as governor over a Trump endorsee.
Action in Illinois followed incidents like the mass shooting at a July 4 parade in the community of Highland Park last year. The Washington restrictions will most comprehensively ban selling, manufacturing, or transferring assault weapons into the state, allowing for at least certain instances of those already possessing the guns to apparently hang onto them. The weapons generally classed as falling under these impending restrictions are among those that often appear in mass shooting incidents like the recent attack at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, where three adults and three children, all under the age of 10, were recently killed, helping spark further nationwide protests. As of Wednesday, the initiative in Washington was awaiting Democratic Governor Jay Inslee’s signature after final approval from state legislators.
“WA does not and will not accept gun violence as normal,” Inslee said Wednesday on Twitter. “Banning the sale of assault weapons, our bill to enact training requirements and a wait period, and the bill to improve accountability of manufacturers and retailers will save lives.”
A local affiliate of NBC in Washington noted that restrictions on particularly dangerous weaponry in neighboring Oregon were unsurprisingly challenged in court, where delays in implementing those measures have emerged. That framework bans the sales of what have been identified as high-capacity magazines and imposes permitting requirements for gun sales.
A push for an assault weapons ban at the federal level continues, and Republicans who claim that restrictions around dangerous firearms wouldn’t even necessarily thwart potential instances of gun violence aren’t reflecting reality. Repeatedly, the weapons used in mass shootings have been obtained legally, meaning that a change in the laws ahead of these atrocities could’ve meant they didn’t happen. This is something often missed.
Also at the federal level, pieces of equipment known as pistol braces have been under dispute. The concern from those trying to stop gun violence is that the items provide for expanding the power of accompanying weapons to more closely resemble sawed-off shotguns and short-barreled rifles, which are already particularly concerning because of the discrepancy between their danger and small size. Recently, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) pushed for a ban on pistol braces should Democrats reclaim control of the House in upcoming elections.
WA does not and will not accept gun violence as normal. Banning the sale of assault weapons, our bill to enact training requirements and a wait period, and the bill to improve accountability of manufacturers and retailers will save lives. #waleg https://t.co/6ceasI7JuL
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) April 19, 2023
