Same attack on firearms rights

Our state Legislature is philosophically divided when it comes to reducing violent crimes and so-called "gun violence."

Republicans believe it's possible to do both without undermining Second Amendment rights and the even stronger language in the Washington Constitution – which declares the right to own and bear a firearm "shall not be impaired."

When our colleagues across the political aisle fail to win through the court system, they resort to chipping away through legislation that inevitably represents a de facto impairment of our constitutional rights.

The 2025 legislative session has brought another flurry of gun-control bills from the majority party. The proponents claim these would reduce gun violence, yet the truth is they do very little other than target responsible gun owners.

For example, House Bill 1163 and the identical Senate Bill 5140 would put burdensome restrictions on firearm purchasers, requiring permits and additional background checks. Could you imagine a similar requirement for reporters, bloggers, churches and other citizens to exercise their first Amendment rights?

Gun-shop owners tell us this approach would be virtually useless for addressing weapons trafficking, as nearly 65% of offenses involve a gun stolen from a vehicle or through other crimes.

However, these measures would completely hinder Washington's federal firearms licensees (FFLs) from conducting business lawfully.

That leads me to think this is only about punishing legal owners and sellers of firearms, not addressing violence that happens to involve a firearm.

Another gun-control proposal, Senate Bill 5099, would ban firearms at more than 5,300 locations in Washington -- and therefore violate the right of responsible citizens to carry for self-defense in areas prone to criminal activity.

Around our country, areas with the most restrictive gun-ownership laws experience the most violence. When only bad people are armed, it creates more "soft targets" for mass shooters. Does that make the public safer?

Senate Bill 5098 would require Washingtonians to store their firearms in lockboxes, preventing the quick access that is critical for self-defense. When danger threatens, seconds count; this bill puts lives at risk by giving evil-doers an advantage.

House Bill 1152 limits the purchase of bulk ammunition; House Bill 1386 would impose an 11% tax on firearms and ammunition. Low-income Washingtonians would be harmed most by these policies, as they may live in unsafe neighborhoods and need firearms and access to ammunition the most.

Together, these bills represent an emotional, but ineffective, approach to addressing violent crime. They fail to address the underlying cultural, economic and mental health-related causes of crime, while obviously impairing the rights of law-abiding citizens.

In stark contrast to these misguided and unconstitutional measures, I have two bills that offer a more sensible, effective approach.

Senate Bill 5056 responds to the major computer-system failure late this past year that kept the Washington State Patrol from conducting firearm-background checks. That outage delayed thousands of legal firearm purchases right before the holidays.

Unforeseen technical issues should not infringe upon the right of responsible gun owners to acquire firearms for lawful purposes.

By ensuring that background checks can be conducted efficiently and effectively, even during system outages, this bill would help keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them, while respecting the rights of those who lawfully may own them.

My second measure, Senate Bill 5268, would classify unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree as a "violent offense." That prevents the granting of a "first-time offender" waiver, ensuring that those who use firearms to commit crimes face the full weight of the law. This common-sense approach targets those who pose a real threat to public safety.

Legislators have a choice: protect constitutional rights while taking real steps to address crime and criminals or pass more bills that won't reduce violence but will make criminals out of law-abiding citizens. To me the answer is obvious.

- Sen. Keith Wagoner represents the 39th Legislative District. Contact him at http://www.SenatorKeithWagoner.com.