U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Washington State gun owners who “sold back” their bump stocks for $150 apiece to the State Patrol won’t have their names and addresses released after all, thanks to a bipartisan Senate bill that passed overwhelmingly in the final hours of the legislative session. As reported first by AmmoLand News our coverage thwarted an attempt to expose Washington State gun owners names by someone who filed a Public Records Act request under an apparent fake name.
Lawmakers allocated $150,000 for the buyback effort, and bump stock owners obviously rushed to get the money, since the devices had been made illegal by earlier legislation. But when a PRA request filed by someone identifying himself as “Yati Arguna” became public knowledge, social media lit up with some activists ridiculing buyback participants because they had unwittingly exposed themselves to what amounted to a legal invasion of privacy.
The Arguna request came via email to the State Patrol, and it was overly candid, according to one WSP source.
“This is a public records request,” the Arguna note stated. “I seek to inspect any and all completed WSP bump stock buy back (sic) forms. I seek to obtain the names and addresses where checks will be mailed for the bump stock buy back (sic) program. My intent is to create a searchable database and map of Washington state to overlay the locations. The public has a right to know that these dangerous devices may have been in neighborhoods that the (sic) live in and who has previously owned such devices.”
Reaction to the PRA request was swift and angry. Gun owners felt they had been betrayed; after all, Washington law protects the identities of concealed pistol license holders. Lawmakers saw they had a public relations disaster on their hands.
After being notifyed by AmmoLand News’ writer John Crump, Gun Owners of America quickly filed lawsuit to prevent disclosure of the names of those gun owners who had participated in the program. But rights activists and enough lawmakers showed a lack of confidence in how an Evergreen State liberal court might rule, so the Legislature went to work.
Senate Bill 6025 was introduced April 27, 2019, just a couple of days prior to adjournment. A companion bill in the House had been introduced a few days earlier, also with bipartisan backing, but it didn’t move. The Senate version did, and it was fast, with a single amendment adopted that had a retroactive element so the Arguna request would be nullified.
It passed the Senate 39-7, with the “nay” votes all coming from Democrats. The bill moved across the Capitol building to the House, where it passed 97-1, again with a Democrat casting the single negative vote.
What remains is for Gov. Jay Inslee, currently running for president on a climate change platform (with room for higher taxes and gun control), to sign the legislation. He brings up the rear in a field of 20 declared candidates, with the news media focusing primarily on Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, Pete Buttegieg and, to a lesser degree, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.
The Legislature also didn’t pass a magazine limit, or other onerous legislation that would have instituted the stiffest training requirement in the country for a concealed pistol license, but that’s not a signal those proposals are dead. The Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility, a billionaire-backed organization whose last initiative campaign was largely funded by wealthy elitists in about a dozen zip codes, could throw all of those things into another initiative.
But the Legislature’s quick action on bump stock privacy demonstrates that lawmakers still believe gun owners have some rights, including privacy. It’s a positive signal.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
Any legal gun owner who didn’t think twice about having a check MAILED to their home after turning in their bumpstock must not understand what has happened here in Washington. This state has been taken over by libs and progressive, gun hating, power hungry, fear mongers. When I read that they weren’t going to pay on the spot but would mail it to your home, I had a feeling that it would leave a door open to something like this. Their information is still there, and if anyone thinks that that information is going to be locked away forever, they’re… Read more »
Notice who “steps up to the plate” here. The Gun Owners of America…NOT the NRA.
I hope you’re paying attention, sports fans…
The Marxists that populate the state legislatures of the blue states (my own included) and in general seem to have a propensity for lists. OK….I urge everyone to do as I do and keep a “Traitors List”. Oath breaking legislators, governors, judges, as well as media personnel and all other anti-American ne’er do wells in general.
Keep it up to date, and when the time comes, you’ll know where to find them so you can guide them while bound to the gallows.
The Spokesman Review Paper in Spokane Washington was the third to ask for the information on the bumpstock program. Their response on why, was.
“We do not have a purpose in mind or a story planned. We routinely ask for public records as a matter of transparency. As you know, this request was denied.
Thank you for asking.”
Dave Workman, thanks for dogging this for us. It happened so fast I never heard about it till it was a done deal.. except for Idiotslee’s scribble.
It might be useful information if you were to list all the Dem “lawmakers” who voted against it. For future reference and all.
I know I could go look it up, but then I can’t publish it here like you can.
I appreciate your recent proactive work in keeping on top of Washington’s “issues” like this.
Congratulations to all the fools in Washington who turned in their bump stocks. You are now on a list of potential “assault weapon” owners. There was no record of who owned bump stocks, but now if you complied with a bad law, you are on a list; good job. Anyone who obeys every law without question simply because “it is the law” deserves whatever happens to them. This is supposed to be, or was, America where freedom lived and thrived, but thanks to mindless sheep who blindly obey any and all laws, it has become something other than than the… Read more »
“But the Legislature’s quick action on bump stock privacy demonstrates that lawmakers still believe gun owners have some rights, including privacy. It’s a positive signal.” …… I respectfully disagree. I think rather it is pragmatism on the part of the anti gunners. They know that if the people who turned in their bump stocks are dox’ed their will be no further compliance with any anti gun confiscations in the future.
Nra begged for trump to bann bumpstocks creating a mess.the PEOPLE had to fix the problem. THANK YOU NRA AND YOUR RED FLAG IDEAS AND BUMPSTOCK BANN
This is a good reason to not allow gun registration and other “gun safety” laws.
Shame on every gun owner who votes Democrat.
Don’t blame the NRA ,for the mess. Put the blame where it belongs, Those who VOTED there people into office and more so , the people who DIDN’T VOTE.