Opinion
Fairfax, Va. – -(AmmoLand.com)- On behalf of Washingtonians and the National Rifle Association for Freedom, the National Rifle Association launched an informational website. Initiative1639.org exposes how this extreme gun-control ballot initiative will add new restrictions on the exercise of Second Amendment rights, regulate ordinary, recreational guns in common use as “assault” weapons, drive up the costs of being a gun owner, and allow the government to authorize the surrender and confiscation of firearms as part of a verification process, all without doing anything to meaningfully address violent crime in Washington State.
“Law-abiding gun owners in Washington State need to understand the impact I-1639 will have on their Second Amendment right to self-defense,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.” The NRA’s new website, Initiative1639.org provides the facts on how this gun-control initiative will infringe on law-abiding citizens’ constitutional rights and make it more difficult to protect themselves and their families.”
Highlights of the extreme gun-control provisions in I-1639 include:
- Classifying ordinary, recreational rifles in common use as “assault” weapons;
- Imposing age-based gun purchase and possession bans on law-abiding adults, including a prohibition on adults aged 18-20 acquiring or purchasing semi-automatic rifles classified as “assault” weapons;
- Introducing new storage requirements that impede the use of guns for lawful self-defense and punish gun owners for the acts of criminals;
- Imposing a new $25 fee on sales and transfers of all guns that fall within the new definition of “assault” weapons;
- Allowing the government to establish a “verification” process to enforce compliance and authorize confiscation of firearms, based on the mandatory disclosure of information from gun retailers and gun owners.
Initiative1639.org makes it easy for voters to stay informed, register to vote, volunteer their time, and download material that highlights their opposition to this latest Seattle-inspired gun grab.
“It’s not enough to exercise your rights – you need to protect them at the ballot box. I encourage Washingtonians who value their Second Amendment rights to visit Initiative1639.org and find out how they can join the fight to protect their rights,” Cox concluded.
Paid for by Washingtonians and the National Rifle Association for Freedom, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 Pursuant to WAC 390-18-025(1), the Top Five Contributors are: National Rifle Association of America
About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
One more reason this initiative cannot stand: Washington’s Constitution provides that no Citizen’s Initiative can change more than one part of Washington law. This one changes the age at which one can own/purchase certain firearms establishes a new tax on certain classes of rifles establishes/defines new classes of weapons mandates new laws relating to storage of firearms establishes a mandatory information reporting requirement on dealers establishes a mandatory waiting period for certain firearms purchases The Universal Background Check law Bloomie bought for that State has the same fatal flaws, but no one had the sense or stones to challenge that… Read more »
quote: “this latest Seattle-inspired gun grab”
This is NOT Seattle inspired. This nearly identical bill was printed and attempts were made to place it on Oregon’s ballot as a Citizen’s Initiative. Oregon courts srruck it down for precisely the same reasons the Thurston County judge did.. Oregon’s laws for Initiatives are similar to Washington’s.
This bill, or something very like it, has also been floated in other states.
No, Blooomburg and his Mad Mamas group of shrill shills are behind this one. Just like they were behind the stupid “initiative’ that brought Universal Background Checks to Washington
No one is saying that it also let’s them look into your medical records without your permission to hold ANYTHING I repeat ANYTHING they say they find against you. If that by it’s self is not against the law than what is? Also you will need a concealed carry permit to buy a firearm,that is stupid because Washington state is a open carry state. I guess they will be going after that next.
It is about time the NRA weighed in. And finally, finally some one said what this law does — it defines, IN LAW, any rifle which uses 100 year old technology as a “military assault rifle” and then uses the scary term MILITARY ASSAULT RIFLE it just FRAUDULENTLY DEFINED as TO raise money and imposes MANY, MANY ANTI-GUN LAWS on ANY GUN FRAUDULENTLY defined as a MILITARY ASSAULT RILE. If the gun is a twenty-two caliber rile used only for pest control (THE CALIBER IS ONLY SUITABLE FOR SHOOTING MICE, RATS AND SQUIRRELS) and has only a three round magazine… Read more »
Scary proposition, given the influx of wild-eyed, liberal-left population into the major cities, which in Washington, and my state of Oregon, hold sway over many elections, and ballot measures. This violation of the Second Amendment is like a creeping lava flow, gradually burning everything in its path. We must be vigilant and persistent and our resistance to such insanity. We may end up fighting, literally, to keep our rights, even our freedom. There are just too many fools among the population, easy prey for these anti-gun activists. Tree of Liberty!
“…persistent IN our resistance…”