Editorial: I-1639's firearm measures can make a difference
One of the reasons Washington state’s initiative process has been so valued by the state’s voters for more than 100 years is that it allows citizens to take on the task of pursuing legislation when state or national lawmakers haven’t moved quickly enough to adopt a remedy.
That’s the case with at least two initiatives this year, Initiative 1631, which proposes a response to carbon emissions and climate change in the face of denials of man-made global warming by the Trump administration and some in Congress; and Initiative 1639, which proposes several provisions related to firearms safety that have been considered by state lawmakers in the past but have not won passage.
As with I-1631, The Herald Editorial Board recommends that voters approve I-1639 and make its measured and common-sense provisions law.
Among the provisions of I-1639, it would require:
An increase in the age to purchase a “semi-automatic assault weapon” to 21 from 18, bringing the age requirement in line with current state law on the purchase of handguns;
As with the current requirement for pistols, that the purchase of semi-automatic rifles be subject to a background check by local law enforcement agencies as well as the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System;
A firearm safety training course for gun owners in the last five years to purchase a firearm;
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