Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers Advocated Tirelessly In Support of the Legislation Signed by Governor Inslee
Washington is the 10th State to Pass Legislation To Prohibit the Sale and Manufacturing of Assault Weapons, Follows Illinois and Delaware ThisYear
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement after Governor Jay Inslee signed a slate of gun safety bills surrounded by Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers. The measures being signed into law today will prohibit the sale and manufacture of assault weapons, increase accountability within the gun industry, require waiting periods and safety training for all firearm purchases. The victory today follows relentless advocacy by Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers who testified in support of the legislation signed today. Governor Inslee is expected to sign a fourth piece of legislation later today to promote secure storage practices.
“By taking action to keep weapons of war out of civilian hands, Washington is proving once again that states are where innovation happens when it comes to gun safety,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “These laws will go a long way toward building a future where Washingtonians no longer have to live in fear of gun violence.”
“We know strong gun safety laws save lives and we’re grateful that Washington lawmakers continue to take action,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “Over the past decade, our grassroots volunteers have fought to keep weapons of war off our streets and have now passed or expanded prohibitions on assault weapons in five states, including three in just the past year. Combined with innovative new laws to hold the gun industry accountable, promote secure firearm storage, and raise the age of purchase, Washington state continues to lead the way on gun safety and is providing a model for other states to follow.”
“These bills have a clear goal – to keep families safe from gun violence,” said Kate Stocker, a volunteer with the Washington chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Washington families deserve to feel safe from the threat of gun violence in every corner of the state, and these bills will help keep us safe. We look forward to continuing our partnership with our gun sense champions at the legislature and thank Governor Jay Inslee for his leadership and commitment to making Washington a leader in the fight against gun violence.”
The life-saving bills signed into law today:
- HB 1240, legislation to prohibit the sale and manufacture of assault weapons, including semi automatic rifles with detachable magazines, such as AR-15s.
- SB 5078, legislation to help hold bad actors in the firearm industry accountable and requiring firearm industry members to establish and implement reasonable controls and precautions for the manufacture, sale, and marketing of their products.
- HB 1143, legislation to require people to complete safety training and a 10-day waiting period before purchasing any firearm.
- HB 1230, legislation to require all K-12 school districts and other public education entities to share information from the Department of Health about the secure storage of firearms and prescription drugs on their websites and digital communications to families.
Since the introduction of Governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s gun violence prevention package in December 2022 volunteers have been at the forefront of advocacy – testifying in support, sending over 1,500 digital actions and making hundreds of calls to lawmakers to get these gun safety bills into law.
Statistics about gun violence in Washington are available here, and Everytown’s Gun Law Rankings – which shows how Washington’s gun laws compare to those of other states – is available here. If you are interested in speaking with a Washington Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteer, please reach out to [email protected].
