(RepublicanNews.org) – Washington State Governor, Democrat Jay Inslee, believes that no one needs certain kinds of rifles except to “kill other families,” so he’s decided to make them illegal.
Inslee signed a ban on April 25th on what Democrats call “assault rifles,” though the official definition of that term has been muddied. Traditionally, “assault” rifles are fully automatic rifles that fire a burst of bullets each time the trigger is pulled. Fully automatic weapons have been banned since the 1980s. Many of the guns listed in these bills are semi-automatic, firing one bullet each time the trigger is pulled.
The new definition seems to be “any gun that happens to catch the attention of those seeking to restrict gun rights.”
Saying, “Party safely tonight” at the signing ceremony, Inslee signed three bills that ban the sale, manufacture, or importation of what it calls “assault” weapons. There are exemptions for the military and police.
House Bill 1240 lists 29 different categories, makes, and models of guns as “assault weapons.” These include commonly known guns such as an AK-47, an AR-15, and dozens of other models less familiar to the general public.
Gov. Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson both pushed for the legislation. Washington is now the 10th state to ban what it calls “assault weapons.”
Inslee made it clear that he does not believe that law-abiding citizens have any legitimate reason to own any of the guns the laws ban. He believes that such weapons are specifically designed to take lives as efficiently as possible. “No one needs an AR-15 to protect your family,” he said. “You only need it to kill other families.”
Inslee did not explain how he could know this, or how he came to understand the intentions of gun owners.
Before this trio of bills, lawmakers in the state passed another that requires safety training and a 10-day waiting period for gun buyers. Another earlier bill requires manufacturers and gun dealers to take “reasonable steps” to keep their guns away from “dangerous individuals.” It is not clear how a manufacturer could do so, or why it would be the gunmaker’s responsibility.
It is far from certain whether Washington’s ban will pass constitutional scrutiny. The Second Amendment Foundation filed suit against the state the same day Inslee signed the laws.
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