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May 2nd, 2023
With the oppressive Washington House Bill 1240 (HB 1240) being signed into law on 4/25/23 by Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, a legal action has been filed in Federal District Court (Eastern Washington) by several plaintiffs to combat this overreaching legislation. The case, Banta et al v. Ferguson seeks a temporary and permanent injunction based on the unconstitutionality of HB 1240. There is an additional action filed by the Second Amendment Foundation. That other lawsuit, named Hartford v. Ferguson, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
Banta et al vs. Ferguson
The action contesting HB 1240 was filed in the Eastern District of Washington, U.S. District Court. Plaintiffs include Amanda Banta (2012 Olympian Sport Shooter), Sharp Shooting Indoor Range & Gun Shop, The Range LLC, Aero Precision LLC, and the NSSF. The complaint is filed against defendants Robert W. Ferguson, Attorney General of Washington State, and John R. Batiste, Chief of the Washington State Patrol.
“We do not agree with this law and we do not think it is constitutional,” said Scott Dover, CEO of Aero Precision. Dover explained: “HB 1240 bans some of the most common firearms and parts available. It impacts the lawful ownership of products we manufacture and sell to thousands of our customers in the State of Washington. It also restricts the rights of the individuals, Aero Precision employees, who make these parts. We will fight this law in the courts and are confident in the outcome given the clear rulings in multiple Supreme Court cases, including Heller and Bruen.”
Banta et al vs Robert W. Ferguson, Attorney General of Washington State
Description: Aero Precision has filed a lawsuit in conjunction with several other plaintiffs to combat the overreaching semi-auto rifle ban legislation by the state of Washington.
About Aero Precision
Aero Precision is a firearms manufacturer based in Tacoma, Washington. Aero Precision has been in business in Washington since 1994, originally starting in the Aerospace industry. Today, Aero Precision is the largest firearms manufacturer in Washington, employing roughly 650 employees in Washington and over 200 in other states. Aero Precision manufacturers AR Parts and components, bolt-action rifles, suppressors and more.
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August 19th, 2022
Brownells donated a check for $59,884 to the Washington-state-based Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) to help fund the lawsuit against the state’s ban on standard-capacity magazines signed into law on March 23, 2022.
“The Second Amendment Foundation really appreciates the financial support that Brownells has given us to make our lawsuit possible,” said Alan Gottlieb SAF Executive Vice President. “This is not the first time Brownells has helped fund our [Second Amendment Rights Litigation efforts].”
 Brownells raised the funds during its “Mag Dump for Washington State” event – lasting from March 14 until June 24, 2022. The event promised consumers that a percentage of sales from every Brownells aluminum 30-round magazine sold would be donated to aid in SAF’s Washington legal effort.
“Brownells is a passionate defender of the Second Amendment”, said Ryan Repp, Brownells VP for Marketing. “We support several pro-Second Amendment organizations, but we see SAF as a stalwart in the fight preserve our Constitutional freedoms. It’s a pleasure to make this donation to aid in their fight to help the citizens of Washington”.
Washington state residents took advantage of the Mag Dump to purchase reliable standard-capacity magazines during the grace period between the day Senate Bill 5078 was signed into law and July 1, the day the magazine ban took effect.
View Brownells’ full selection of pistol, rifle, and shotgun magazines at www.brownells.com/magazines .
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April 7th, 2020
Article based on report from Montana Shooting Sports Association.
Some states with anti-gun leadership are aggressively trying to eliminate insurance programs that help protect gun owners who may be forced to use a gun in self-defense. These liberal-controlled states claim they can block such self-defense insurance coverage because insurance is not allowed for an “illegal activity”. Interesting theory — since when did self-defense become illegal? The right of armed self-protection is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Most states have a position titled “Insurance Commissioner”, a public official (usually elected) who regulates insurance matters. We are seeing harsh anti-gun policies being pushed through by State Insurance Commissioners, often as the behest of Democratic-party Governors or Legislative leaders.
For example, in Washington State, the Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC) sent cease and desist letters to the NRA (regarding previously offered Carry Guard*), the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA), the Armed Citizen Legal Defense Network, U.S. Law Shield, Firearms Legal Protection, and CCW Safe, demanding that all quit doing business in Washington State. California’s Insurance Commissioner blocked NRA Carry Guard Insurance, and the same thing is likely to happen in other states in the months ahead…
Gary Marbut, President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, says that citizens need to be concerned with state candidates for Insurance Commissioner (or equivalent state official): “In Montana, the function of an insurance commissioner is performed by the State Auditor, an elected position most people don’t think about much. Because of the attack on self-defense insurance in other states, the race for State Auditor is worth paying attention to in Montana. As voters, you and your friends should know which candidates pledge that self-defense insurance will NOT be targeted for eradication in Montana.”
That advice should be headed by citizens in other states as well. With so many attacks on Second Amendment rights from liberal politicians (and the mainstream news media), we don’t want state insurance rules to be used to disarm law-abiding citizens, or subject them to increased risk of lawsuits.
*The NRA’s Carry Guard Insurance program is no longer offered. Cancellation of this program is due largely to aggressive actions by State Insurance Commissioners in blue states such as California, New York, and Washington.
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July 20th, 2019
 New environmental regulations in the state of Washington could soon impact shooters. Restrictions on the use of lead compounds could lead to expensive range remediation programs, or even range closures…
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries Division of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH) has released an updated draft of the lead rules they originally released last year following stakeholder meetings. These proposed regulations will impose complicated and expensive burdens on shooting ranges and retailers, potentially making it difficult for some to continue operations. DOSH will be holding additional stakeholder meetings to discuss these proposed regulations. Shooting ranges are vital to the safe practice and exercise of our constitutionally protected Second Amendment right to self-defense, and maintaining access to shooting ranges is a top priority for NRA.
Existing federal and state law already provides extensive regulation of lead in the workplace. In addition to the federal requirements under the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Washington also has regulations in place regarding workplace lead exposure and has enforced these regulations through inspections and citations. This Washington State draft regulation proposes new and much more demanding requirements that significantly exceed compliance under existing law without providing any clarification on their need. Furthermore, there have been no economic impact studies on the effect these regulations will have on small businesses.
The NRA will continue to actively participate as a stakeholder in the development of these new rules in meetings with the Department of Labor and Industries. We will provide ongoing input on the impact the proposal will have on gun ranges, retailers, and our shooting community. Check out www.NRAILA.org for further updates on the status of the proposal.
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November 9th, 2018
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.
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