1997 ballot initiative writers: Let's put together a huge intrusive ballot initiative which will severely impact gun culture in Washington state if it passes. But even if it doesn't, it is so extreme it will kill gun control efforts in the state for 20 years.
2018 ballot initiative writers: Hold my beer.
I moved to Washington state in 1997, just in time to join the fight against I-676. 676 tried to enact a handgun licensing scheme which would have drastically impacted the gun culture of Washington state. As a previous blog post noted (link), Washington state is a politically moderate but VERY gun friendly state. I moved here in the expectation that I-676 would fail and it did, losing by a 71% to 29% margin.
21 years later, an even more obnoxious gun control initiative is on the ballot. As in 1997, proponents are trying to sell the restrictions in this initiative as "modest" and "not intrusive". And again in 2018, we can see through their dissembling.
Typical signature gatherers for this initiative. Not at all deceptive. Look away
I-1639 is an incompetently written initiative, apparently created by randomly cutting and pasting from a handful of legislation REJECTED by a Democrat-controlled legislature this year. It was promoted by Washington's so-called "Attorney General," who smugly admits that he spends a lot of his time at work looking for flimsy reasons to sue the Federal government....apparently because his budget is excessive and he doesn't work for the state or something? The format of I-1639 is so blatantly illegal that a judge in Thurston County removed it from the ballot. Unfortunately, the state Supreme Court decided that its job is not to adjudicate the law and put it back on the ballot.
Here's a news flash, guys: maintaining respect for the rule of law and its impartiality is actually pretty damn important. You have compromised that severely.
Let's look at all the problems with this bloated, incoherent initiative:
It classifies ALL semi-auto rifles as "assault weapons", rendering them susceptible to future legislative attacks. Every single rifle. That will get the hunting crowd's attention, especially when they go to buy a Browning BAR or pedestrian .22 and there's a 10 business day waiting period.
OK, now say you're a hunter concerned about being made to wait two weeks to take possession of a rifle, for no good reason. You might think that your Concealed Pistol License might allow you to bypass the waiting period, like it does for handgun purchases. No such luck.
Here's one subtle and very ugly bit that isn't being talked about very much. I-1639 also requires that you complete an approved safety class before you can buy that hunting rifle. However, the content and availability of that course are not spelled out in the initiative. It could take months or even over a year for the courses to be approved and made available. So there could be an indeterminately long complete ban on the sale of ALL semi-auto rifles throughout the state.
Does that still sound like a moderate law to you?
Then there's the part where buying that rifle means that the state can invade your health privacy for the rest of your life. When I call older folks, that REALLY gets their attention. It also worries a lot of people who have been treated for PTSD or depression.
Then there's the small matter of denying 18-20 year olds who may be living on their own the right to effective self defense weapons. Remember that they already can't buy handguns.
The initiative purports to enact safe storage requirements. That means that either you will be expected to keep your gun locked up at all times (and therefore useless for purposes of self defense) or be held criminally responsible if Joe Recidivist Felon steals your gun and uses it in a crime.
And what is the whole alleged point to this incoherent jumble of bad ideas? Controlling "assault weapons", which are so rarely used to commit violent crimes (link) that people with knives are more of a threat to you. Or people with hands and feet.
Gun owners realize how toxic this initiative is and oppose it. The gun community hasn't been this motivated and pissed off since 1997.
The large state law enforcement organizations all oppose this initiative:
Washington State Patrol Troopers Association
Washington State Sheriff’s Association
Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs
Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association
I think I-1639's advocates have bitten off a lot more than they can chew.
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