Washington—the “Evergreen State” with its lush forests and far-left political tilt—turned two corners over the course of two days last week and many are wondering if it can ever turn back, though the federal courts may ultimately be involved in steering the ship, and that court battle is about to be launched.
Last week, the Democrat-controlled Legislature passed a bill banning the future sale, transfer, possession and manufacture of so-called “assault weapons” as earlier reported by AmmoLand News, and Thursday, Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee, flanked by Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson, signed a bill abolishing the death penalty. According to the Associated Press, Inslee issued a moratorium on the death penalty in 2014. Four years later, the Washington Supreme Court struck down the death penalty, declaring it to be “arbitrary and racially biased,” the AP reported.
Inslee is scheduled to sign the semi-auto ban bill on Tuesday at 10 a.m., and AmmoLand News has learned there are now at least three different legal challenges waiting to be filed the moment he puts ink on paper. One of those lawsuits will involve the Second Amendment Foundation—which is based in Bellevue, Washington—and other rights groups, another by a citizens group headquartered in Eastern Washington, and a third by the firearms industry. A gun control initiative in neighboring Oregon drew four federal lawsuits and one state lawsuit, so Washington’s courts could be headed for a similar legal traffic jam.
Abolished. https://t.co/KQ5zYik7pD
— Bob Ferguson (@BobFergusonAG) April 21, 2023
Surprisingly, a similar ban measure just failed in Colorado, where, according to PBS, “Colorado’s Democratic-controlled Legislature was split on the issue, underscoring the state’s purple roots, tensions between urban and rural constituents, and an ongoing push-and-pull between progressive and moderate Democrats that has defined this year’s legislative session.”
Against this backdrop, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle this week announced two major cases involving guns, which should—but probably won’t—send a signal to state lawmakers in Olympia and the establishment media that gun control restrictions affecting only law-abiding citizens aren’t going to solve anything.
Case #1: Two men from south King County have been charged with “multiple firearms offenses” involving straw purchases of more than 100 guns in less than two years. Charges were filed against Dion Jamar Cooper, 31, of Kent, and De’ondre Lamontia Phillips, aka Deondre Lamontia McDougle, 32, of Federal Way. “Of the 107 firearms identified as being purchased in this scheme, 24 of the guns have been recovered and linked to crimes,” the U.S. Attorney said in a press release.
Case #2: This is the bigger case, with six people indicted in connection with a fentanyl distribution scheme. Four of the suspects are also charged with unlawful possession of firearms. Two of the people allegedly involved in this case apparently overdosed on fentanyl at a mini-mart and had to be revived and taken to the hospital.
As if Washington’s situation isn’t bad enough, an article published by Vice has added a sense of the bizarre. According to the story, “progressive” (far-left liberal) gun owners are now worried that the new semi-auto ban “creates a situation where ‘traditional’ gun owners—white, male conservatives—are sitting on an arsenal of high-powered weapons, which emerging demographics of gun owners, like LGBTQ people, leftists and minorities, no longer have access to.” People in that “emerging demographic” only have themselves to blame for electing Democrats such as Inslee, Ferguson and the lawmakers who wrote and passed the new law.
The Vice report quoted someone named George, who would not give his last name, and identified him as “a lifelong Democrat” who “supports other gun safety measures that made their way through the legislature but says recent unrest in the U.S. has made him nervous about the future of the country.”
The story quoted George observing, “This is also the worst time to unilaterally disarm a population of left-minded individuals. These next five or 10 years might decide the fate of America, and when the music stops and the next January 6 happens and we’re all scrambling to find a chair, I’m worried that the fascists will be the ones with all the guns.”
Predictably, the Seattle Times editorial board is cheering the gun ban, declaring Washington, now being alluded to by some people as the “Evergone” State, to be “on the precipice of making history.” While he hasn’t yet signed the legislation, SHB 1240, sources in Olympia have indicated Inslee’s eagerness to ink the measure. It could only be a matter of days. The legislative session was scheduled to officially end Sunday.
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.
Governor Inslee issuing a moratorium on the death penalty while signing the latest gun restriction law, should come as know surprise. Absolutely none of the gun control advocacy groups support any anti-crime or anti-criminal positions. Gun control, on the other hand, allows them to pretend, they’re doing something against crime, while actually, impacting the wrong people.
Move to the head of the class!
Thanks for reading and sharing this AMMOLAND report
These democrat socialists are so uneducated they call others fascists, when they are themselves using fascism, the union of corporate and state interests, to wage war on this republic, and the free people within. The ban is blatantly Unconstitutional.
“These democrat socialists are so uneducated … “
Don’t believe that, they know exactly what they are doing.
Yep, ‘George’ needs a bit of introspection. The practices of “left-minded people” do indeed meet the definition of fascism.
“white, male conservatives—are sitting on an arsenal of high-powered weapons, which emerging demographics of gun owners, like LGBTQ people, leftists and minorities, no longer have access to.”
Well, that is a hell of an argument out of left field. So what, now its a hate crime to own “too many guns”? Maybe they / them should have spent less time forcing their crap and agenda on others. I’d recommend they hoard Bud Light and dresses in mens sizes.
So, leftists are worried that conservatives might have guns, but they have never cared that criminals will always have guns when law abiders don’t. Sounds about right.
Just don’t infringe on the rights of “fringe” people. Kickimg straight people around is okay.
George Washinton is turnning over in his grave
yeah, this new antigun bill could well be the precipice mentioned. Qustion ism will the well armed and trained residents of “other than huge dem cities” be able to hold ground against the “residents of huge dem cities” What will these gun haters DO when their corrupt and foolish city poohbahs have defded their poice, sent unarmed “social workers” instead of armed lwe enforcement, enabled and coddled the grifters and moochers now concentrated in those cities.. the same cities where the Dems live, and social structures continue t crumble and disappear.. WHO will protect those dems? THEY won’t doit themselves,… Read more »
Thanks, Dave. Hopefully this will serve as a warning to those in the safety of Red States and a call to arms there so they will work to avert the tide from inundating them.
I’m disgusted and frustrated with what has become of my home state and see no remedy.