Radical Anti-Gun Measure, I-1639, Wins in Washington State

Bad news for Washington State gun owners. The draconian gun-control initiative, I-1639, passed in this week’s election, with roughly 60% voter approval. Big changes are in store for the Evergreen State, starting January 1, 2019. According to Guns America, “I-1639 bans the sale of semiautomatic rifles to adults under the age of 21, creates a registry of gun owners, establishes a 10-day waiting period for certain purchases, holds gun owners liable for failing to secure firearms, and allows the state to charge a $25 fee on the sale of [broadly defined] ‘assault rifles'”.

The age restriction on gun purchases goes into effect January 1, 2019. The other provisions commence six months later, on July 1, 2019. Outdoor stores and gun-shops are getting ready for the new law, expecting confusion and some panic buying. “Now we’ve got a law that’s going to cause problems for us and it’s going to cause problems for consumers and the impact on crime is going to be zero. So there’s going to be a rush for people buying guns and beat the law to the punch but I think ultimately though it will have a negative effect for a while on gun sales” said Wade Gaughran of Wade’s Eastside Guns in King County, during an interview with KOMONews.

NRA and Second Amendment Foundation Will Challenge I-1639 in Court
Despite the election result, there is some hope. Gun rights groups plan to challenge I-1639 in court: “The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) will be jointly filing a court challenge to I-1639 and the chilling effect that it has on the constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb.

I-1639, over 30 pages in length, is far-reaching. This measure basically defines virtually ALL self-loading long guns as “assault rifles”. This would even include popular .22 LR rimfire rifles such as the Ruger 10/22, Marlin 60, and Remington 597. In addition, I-1639 imposes draconian gun storage requirements, imposes new taxes on gun ownership, creates a state-controlled gun registry, and mandates annual “verification” of gun owners. LEARN MORE HERE.

Alan Gottlieb explains that many negative aspects of I-1639 were not understood by voters. This initiative threatens privacy rights, and interferes with citizens’ ability to defend their homes. “Not only does the initiative discriminate against gun owners, it classifies common recreational firearms as ‘semiautomatic assault rifles’ and requires gun buyers to surrender their medical privacy in order to exercise a constitutionally-protected right.” I-1639 was pushed by the Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility, an extreme anti-gun advocacy group funded by billionaire dollars.

I-1639 was in fact so badly-drafted and extreme that even law enforcement organizations opposed this far-reaching anti-gun measure. In the weeks leading up to the election, the Washington State Sheriffs Association (WSSA), Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs (WACOPS), and Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Association (WSLEFIA) all opposed I-1639.