Editorial: Gun laws can make a difference; they already have

Editorial: Gun laws can make a difference; they already have

Several bills in the Legislature can have a part in reducing gun violence and saving lives.

By The Herald Editorial Board

Rejecting any proposed solution to a problem because it wouldn’t work in one or more hypothetical situations or doesn’t resolve all issues dooms us to inaction. And potentially more bloodshed.

No one action — or legislative proposal, in this case — is a guarantee that we can prevent the next massacre in Parkland, Florida, or Mukilteo or Marysville.

But the state Legislature — especially in the apparent absence of will in Congress even when facing students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — does have a range of legislation that it can pass before it adjourns next month. And each could have an effect in reducing the threat our children and each of us face from the illegal use of firearms.

You don’t have to look far to find examples where past action has resulted in its intended effect.

Just last year, the Legislature put some needed enforcement behind I-594, the citizen initiative from 2014 that expanded background checks in Washington state to include private sales, guns shows and online sales of firearms. House Bill 1501, sponsored by Rep. Dave Hayes, R-Camano Island, who is a sergeant with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, requires firearm dealers to report to the the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs all instances when an application to purchase or transfer a firearm has been denied, such as because of a failed background check. It also requires the State Patrol to keep a database of reported denials, investigate those reports and refer cases to law enforcement. It also established a statewide automated system that notifies those who register with it, especially victims of domestic violence, when the subject of a restraining order or other court order has attempted and been denied the purchase of a firearm.

Between taking effect in late July and mid-December, WASPC reported the denial of 1,231 applications to purchase or transfer a firearm; 152 of those denials were referred to law enforcement for further investigation and possible charges. The law is working as intended to deny firearms to those who do not pass background checks and is alerting law enforcement — and the victims of domestic violence — when a prohibited individual attempts to obtain a firearm.

At least one major piece of legislation — a ban on so-called “assault weapons” that was sought by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and others following the shooting deaths of three Kamiak High School graduates at a Mukilteo party in 2016 — is not likely to advance in the Legislature this year, despite Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.

But other bills are advancing and, like House Bill 1501, offer their own protections and warrant passage and a signature from the governor. Among them:

Senate Bill 5992 would essentially outlaw so-called “bump-stocks,” the devices that can be attached to semi-automatic firearms that increases the firing rate of the weapon to that of an automatic firearm or “machine gun,” which are prohibited by federal and state law. The bill has passed the Senate and House but has been returned to the Senate for its approval of a House amendment.

Opponents of the legislation are likely correct that the outcome of law would be minimal, but the fact that the devices effectively turn legal weapons into illegal weapons is reason enough to ban them and increase the penalties for their use.

Senate Bill 5553 would create a process to allow an individual to voluntarily and temporarily waive their right to own or purchase a firearm and adds that person’s name to a registry that would deny purchase of firearms. The bill includes a process to revoke the waiver. It has passed the Senate and is expected to get a vote on the House floor.

The legislation will provide a measure of protection to those in crisis and struggling with thoughts of suicide, in particular veterans who are dealing with post traumatic stress.

Senate Bill 6298 would close a loophole that omitted harassment to the list of domestic violence misdemeanor convictions that prohibit the possession of a firearm. It has passed the Senate and is in a House committee.

Harassment, for purposes of the bill, includes threats of injury, physical damage to a person’s property, physically confining someone or any other malicious act intended to harm a threatened person. The types of actions that would be used to grant a domestic violence protection order should also be grounds for denying possession of a firearm.

Senate Bill 5444 would close another loophole that has allowed so-called assault weapons to escape the same state and federal background check requirements that apply to handguns and would prohibit their sale to those under the age of 21. The bill technically did not advance past an earlier deadline for legislation but could still be revived.

Had similar legislation been in place two years ago, Allen Ivanov, then 19, would have been frustrated in his attempt to purchase the AR-15-style rifle from a local dealer, the weapon that he used to gun down a former girlfriend and two others at a Mukilteo home in July 2016. And in his failed attempt, law enforcement might have been alerted to a potentially dangerous individual.

None of the above represent a threat to Second Amendment rights. None will deny firearm ownership to those who have a lawful right to own a firearm. And while, no single piece of legislation can deliver broad guarantees that will prevent the next mass shooting, reasonable moves to close loopholes and adopt other rational changes to laws will save lives.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.