Washington: Magazine Ban & Firearm Seizure Bills Pass Committee

During the executive session on February 1^st, the Washington state House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary voted to pass House Bill 1068 to ban many standard capacity ammunition magazines and House Bill 1225 for firearm seizures without due process.  These two bills will now go to the House floor for further consideration.  Please contact your state Representatives and urge them to OPPOSE House Bills 1068 & 1225.  Click the “Take Action” button to contact your state Representatives.

House Bill 1068, sponsored by Representative Javier Valdez (D-46), was filed at the request of Attorney General Bob Ferguson and passed by a vote of 9-6.  It would ban the possession of ammunition magazines with a capacity greater than 15, encompassing the standard capacity magazines for many handguns and rifles commonly owned by law-abiding citizens for self-defense.

House Bill 1225, sponsored by Representative Laurie Jinkins (D-27), would require law-enforcement to seize firearms and ammunition when they are called to the scene of an alleged domestic violence incident and hold them for at least five business days.  This would result in property being confiscated without first going through due process and subject citizens to bureaucratic red tape to get their property returned.

House Bill 1739, sponsored by Rep. Valdez, was also filed at the request of Attorney General Ferguson.  It would end the centuries-old practice of manufacturing firearms for personal use and also contains provisions that go above and beyond federal law that already bans undetectable firearms.  The committee rescheduled the vote for HB 1739 to next week.

Again, please click the “Take Action” button above to contact your state Representatives and urge them to OPPOSE House Bills 1068 & 1225.