Following Successful 2014 Background Check Ballot Initiative, Washingtonians to Once Again Bring the Vote to the People
Measure Would Empower Family Members and Law Enforcement to Help Prevent Tragedies and Save Lives; Mirrors Similar Legislation in California, Connecticut and Indiana
SEATTLE – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety and the Washington chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, applauded the introduction of a new 2016 statewide ballot initiative to enact Extreme-Risk Protection Orders in Washington State. Similar to legislation already on the books in California, Connecticut and Indiana, the Extreme-Risk Protection Orders ballot initiative will allow law enforcement, family and household members to petition a court to temporarily suspend a person’s access to firearms if the person poses a significant danger to self or others.
STATEMENT FROM LEAH BERNSTEIN, A VOLUNTEER WITH THE WASHINGTON CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“Washington moms are happy and proud that a gun safety measure will once again be brought to the people for a vote. In 2014, we, along with a coalition of gun safety advocates, worked tirelessly to pass I-594 in a resounding victory. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves again, talk to our neighbors and collect signatures to qualify this measure and once it’s on the ballot, rack up another win for Washington’s public safety. Extreme-Risk Protection Orders will create a tool to empower families and law enforcement, who are often the first to see warning signs of violence, to stop gun violence before it happens. As we saw in the case of the UC Santa Barbara shooter, there can be red flags that serve as warnings before tragedies. This ballot measure will make sure we have the right tools in place to help prevent similar tragedies from happening.”
In 2014, Washington moms and survivors, along with a coalition of gun safety advocates, led the way in passing I-594, Washington State’s background check ballot measure that won with 60 percent of the vote. Washington is one of 18 states that have closed the background check loophole.