CERTAIN FIREARMS TO BE BANNED WITH PASSAGE OF HB 1240

Washington State has passed a new gun-ban law, House Bill 1240, which bans nearly 60 types of firearms, including AR-15's and other related weapons, along with numerous other non-firearm 'tools'. Supporters say the legislation is needed to reduce mass shootings and gun-related deaths, but critics argue it violates Second Amendment rights and is unlikely to have much impact on gun violence. Republican legislators have predicted that the bill will be signed by Governor Jay Inslee, followed by lawsuits and eventual overturning of the law. The bill faced several amendments during the legislative process, including one that would have allowed active or retired military personnel who move to Washington to keep possession of banned weapons. Another amendment would have allowed gun dealers to sell or transfer weapons banned under the bill for up to 90 days after the law takes effect, but it was dropped prior to the Senate vote. Once signed into law, HB 1240 will immediately ban the sale, marketing, manufacture, or possession of any of the listed 'banned' items, but it does not affect those who already own them. Supporters of the bill claim mass shootings are the "preeminent issue of our time," yet it's been reported that mass shootings make up only 2% of all murders and homicides between 2015 and 2021, and 74% of gun-related deaths in WA state involve suicide.