Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Great Expectations, Empty Promises: Gun Control in Washington State

Monday, July 26, 2021

Great Expectations, Empty Promises: Gun Control in Washington State

For years, voters in the Evergreen State have been assured that if only they approve certain gun control ballot initiatives, they wouldsave lives” and reduce crime. The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility (WAGR), the organization pushing these ballot measures, has made an industry (if the term applies to an entity funded by donations from billionaires) out of peddling a new gun control law every so often.

The first measure WAGR and its allies proposed was Initiative 594 (2014), the so-called universal background check” law, which required a federal background check for almost every gun sale and transfer, including temporary transfers, gifts and loans. The preamble to the initiative referred to the law as an effective and easy mechanism” to eliminate access to guns by criminals, but it applied indiscriminately to artifact loans to museums as well as transfers during firearm safety classes and by licensed professionals in the security guard industry.

The second measure was Initiative 1491 (2016), a 21-page measure to authorize courts to remove firearms from persons presumed to be dangerous, based on allegations made by past or present spouses, dating partners, cohabitants, or any other persons related by blood or marriage. As with I-594, this was presented as a means of reducing violence and saving lives.

Initiative 1639 (2018) was also premised on increasing public safety, in this case by imposing a firearm storage requirement and restricting semi-automatic assault rifles,” a made-up term that includes rifles used for legitimate and ordinary hunting, sporting, and competition activities. According to the initiative, shootings involving the use of semiautomatic assault rifles have resulted in hundreds of lives lost…”

The NRA and others opposed these ballot initiatives, arguing they would accomplish nothing except to further burden honest gun owners. Law enforcement groups opposed I-594 and I-1639, stating the measures would have no impact on public safety or crime as criminals would continue to ignore the law.” The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Washington State declined to support I-1491, citing concerns with the stigmatizing of mental illness, due process protection, and its questionable effectiveness.

Washington voters, though, chose to trust WAGR and the promised results.

Several years later, one way to evaluate the benefits of these initiatives is to examine information on crime rates and crime. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) publishes an annual report on crime in the state, compiled from data submitted to the Washington State Uniform Crime Reporting Program by local law enforcement agencies. The primary objective of the report is to implement and administer a uniform system of collecting crime and arrest statistical data … and present the information in complete, accurate, and timely method.”

Contrary to the claims made in promoting the restrictions on semi-automatic assault rifles,” the reports establish that rifles of any kind are rarely used in murders in the state, and this has consistently been the case before I-1639 was approved. In 2012, rifles were identified as the weapon in just three murders that year, compared to knives (28), blunt objects (12), and personal weapons” like hands, fists or feet (11). Knives, personal weapons, and blunt objects continue to exceed, by a large margin, the use of rifles in murders for every year since. In 2018, for example, rifles were used in two murders, while knives (45), drugs/narcotics (7), personal weapons (17), blunt objects (9), and even vehicles (3) were much more likely to be the weapon of choice. This trend continues into 2020. 

Another useful indicator is the movement of the states crime rates. The WASPC reports show that the rate for crimes against persons” (those where the victim is always an individual, like homicides, sex crimes, assaults, and violations of protective orders) has increased from 10.15/1,000 pop. in 2013 to over 13.0 in succeeding years. The rate for what the reports call group A” crimes, a much broader class that includes the above offenses as well as burglary, kidnapping, property crimes, and others, has been climbing, too, since the first initiative was enacted. In addition to these escalations, the latest report for 2020 contains a further worrisome sign: while violent crimes overall dropped during the pandemic year compared to 2019, the number of murders statewide in 2020 jumped by almost 50% over those of the previous year.

The number of weapon law violations,” defined as [v]iolations of laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, possession, concealment, or use of firearms, cutting instruments, explosives, incendiary devices, or other deadly weapons,” has been increasing since 2013. According to the reports, these violations are overwhelmingly related to possession or concealment of a weapon rather than weapon use, and are therefore classed outside of the crimes against persons” category. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the proliferation of new gun laws, violations have gone from a 2013 rate of 0.58/1,000 pop. to 0.76/1,000 pop. in 2020.

Based on the representations and assurances of WAGR and its like-minded supporters and enablers in light of this crime data, Washingtons voters are justified in asking how it is that their communities and lives have been made safer since these initiatives were imposed. Instead, by expanding state laws regulating the sale, transfer, possession and storage of firearms, even by lawful owners, the initiatives have made it more difficult for citizens to protect themselves and their families against criminals, and much more likely that these ordinary citizens will inadvertently violate a firearm restriction and become criminals themselves.  

Causes of crime are often complex, but the message for voters in Washington State and elsewhere is simple: criminals ignore laws, so adding more laws to fix the failure of criminals to comply is not a solution. Ask questions about proposed gun violence prevention” schemes and whether these are, in fact, the evidence-based solutions” they are held out to be. Beware of billionaire hobbyists spending millions to bankroll gun control laws to restrict the freedom and fundamental rights of everyday Americans.

TRENDING NOW
Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

As the mid-year mark of 2025 hits, a promising report on crime trends has come out of the City of Baltimore. Surprising news at first glance until you dig deeper into the policy direction the ...

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

On July 4th, President Donald Trump signed into law his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included a provision that eliminated the tax stamp fee of $200, but did not deregulate suppressors under the National Firearms ...

President Trump Supports Hunting and Resource Protection with Executive Actions

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

President Trump Supports Hunting and Resource Protection with Executive Actions

Just as the United States was preparing to celebrate 249 beautiful years, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on July 3rd establishing the “Make America Beautiful Again" Commission supporting hunters, outdoorsmen, and outdoor recreationists by prioritizing the ...

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

It appears the editors of The Atlantic are finally willing to entertain an idea that has long been obvious to gun rights supporters.

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

As the House Appropriations Committee is putting together legislation to fund the government, NRA-ILA has worked closely with policy makers to ensure several long-standing priorities for gun owners were included in the underlying bills.

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, completely removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

Thursday, July 10, 2025

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

In Reese v. ATF, the Fifth Circuit held that 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(b)(1) and (c)(1)—which together forbid Federal Firearms Licensees from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds—violate the Second Amendment.

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

Thursday, July 10, 2025

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

In the second quarter of 2025, the National Rifle Association filed two cert petitions in the U.S. Supreme Court and five amicus briefs, while continuing to litigate dozens of ongoing lawsuits across the country.

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Monday, July 7, 2025

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed the Florida Budget for Fiscal Year 2025–2026, which includes a Second Amendment sales tax holiday from September 8 through December 31, 2025. The NRA is thankful for Governor DeSantis’ strong ...

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

In case you missed the media firestorm last week, a progressive professor at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, Maine, has come under fire for her emails belittling a student for her religious beliefs and views ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.