NRA-ILA | Washington: Legislature Adjourns from Constitutionally Destructive 2022 Legislative Session

This year, anti-gun Washington Legislators placed law-abiding gun owners in their sights and made it their priority to pull no punches infringing on our Second Amendment rights.  While this session saw the passage of numerous anti-gun measures, it was not without its victories as well.  Thanks to the calls and emails from NRA Members and Second Amendment supporters, a number of equally bad measures were thankfully defeated.  Please contact Governor Jay Inslee and respectfully ask him to veto the below anti-gun measures.

Awaiting Governor Jay Inslee’s Consideration:

10-ROUND MAGAZINE BAN – Senate Bill 5078 bans the manufacture, sale, transfer, importation, etc., of magazines that “are capable of holding,” or hold more than, 10 rounds of ammunition.  This includes conversion kits or parts from which any such magazine may be assembled.  These so-called “high capacity” magazines are, in fact, standard equipment for commonly-owned firearms that many Americans constitutionally and effectively use for an entire range of lawful purposes, such as self-defense or competition.  For example, the Glock 19 was the most commonly purchased firearm of 2021 and has a standard-issue magazine that holds 15 rounds of ammunition.  Any violation of this measure is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum of 364 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

“GHOST GUNS” BAN – House Bill 1705 further restricts the centuries-old practice of manufacturing firearms for personal use and self-defense by imposing requirements that far exceed those in federal law.  It seeks to prohibit private individuals from possessing certain unregulated components commonly used by Americans to make their own firearms for self-defense, sport and hobby, and from possessing currently legal firearms that don’t have serial numbers. This bill would make lawfully built firearms retroactively illegal if built after 2019. 

BAN FIREARMS FROM ELECTION-RELATED PLACES, SCHOOL BOARD AND MUNICIPAL MEETINGS – House Bill 1630 prohibits open carry at school board meetings, municipal meetings and election-related places. Further, HB 1630 bans all firearms at ballot counting centers, including by CPL Holders.

EXPAND RED FLAG LAWS THROUGH CIVIL PROTECTION ORDERS – House Bill 1901 would allow petitioners for civil protection orders to assert that another has “coercive control” over them, leading to an unconstitutional revocation of firearm rights without due process of law. This bill is ripe for abuse.

Defeated During Session:

SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIREARMS BAN – Senate Bill 5217 would have arbitrarily classified many popularly-owned semi-automatic firearms as so-called “assault weapons” and ban their possession, manufacture, transfer, etc.  These firearms are widely used for self-defense, recreational shooting, and hunting, and have now been vilified due to cosmetic features.

ANTI-PREEMPTION – Senate Bill 5568 would have gutted the state’s preemption laws.  SB 5568 would have expanded gun free zones and permitted municipalities to ban the open carry of firearms.  These types of measures result in a complex patchwork of gun laws across the state that ensnare otherwise law-abiding gun owners, turning them into criminals simply by crossing arbitrary invisible boundaries.

VOLUNTARY WAIVER OF FIREARM RIGHTS – Senate Bill 5491 would have turned a suicide prevention measure into prohibition on an individual’s Second Amendment rights.  When someone needs help, turning around and branding them a prohibited person, involving law enforcement agencies and creating a potential criminal prosecution is not the way to help them.

RESTORATION OF FIREARM RIGHTS – Senate Bill 5561 claimed to update and remove inconsistencies in the restoration statute; instead, it would have made it harder to get a restoration of rights because it adds a new subjective eligibility requirement and double the wait times for eligibility to apply with respect to certain classes of crimes.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF WITH WEAPONS – Senate Bill 1283 was a revived measure from the 2021 Legislative Session that sought to prohibit the assembly of three or more persons open carrying if another person perceived it as an “intent to intimidate another or warrants alarm for the safety of others.”

While the legislative fight is over for 2022, Washington State looks towards the 2022 elections as the next fight for our Second Amendment rights. Please contact Governor Jay Inslee and respectfully ask him to veto the above anti-gun measures.  Stay-tuned to NRA-ILA Alerts for more information and updates on these and other issues affecting our Second Amendment in the Evergreen State.