‘They did it!’: Activists celebrate Washington for passing assault weapons ban

Anti-gun violence activists praised Washington state Tuesday for passing an assault weapons ban, as a series of high-profile incidents in recent months have drawn attention to the persistence of mass shootings in the US. with high powered weapons.

“THEY DID IT!!!” Shannon Watts of the Moms Demand Action group wrote On twitter. “[Governor Jay Inslee] just signed a landmark package of gun safety bills that bans assault weapons, holds the gun industry accountable, requires waiting periods, and promotes safe storage.”

The bill prohibits the manufacture, distribution and sale of more than 50 weapons, including AR-15-style rifles, the weapons used in numerous mass shootings, as well as semi-automatic rifles under 30 inches in length.

“Just because they don’t solve all the problems doesn’t mean Washington State won’t take action,” Governor Inslee said as he signed the bill. “Inaction against gun violence is unacceptable.”

Democratic state officials welcomed the ban.

“Weapons of war like AR-15s and other assault weapons have no place on our streets,” US Senator Patty Murray saying in a sentence. “Washington state taking action to ban assault weapons and pass other common sense gun safety measures is incredible and necessary progress, and I will continue to push to do the same nationally.”

Washington joins nine other states with assault weapons bans: California, Connecticut, Delware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, according to Axios.

The Washington governor also signed two other gun violence bills, one that imposes a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases and another that allows lawsuits against gun manufacturers, reports the Associated Press.

The White House, which has long (and so far unsuccessfully) advocated for renewing the assault weapons ban that Joe Biden helped pass as a senator, praised Washington’s effort.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that the administration “commends the leadership of Washington Governor Jay Inslee and legislative leaders, as well as the advocates, survivors, and elected officials who fought for years to make what was said a reality. from today”.

The Bellevue, Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation quickly challenged the assault weapons ban and filed a federal lawsuit.

“The state has criminalized a common and important means of self-defense, the modern semi-automatic rifle,” said the group’s founder, Alan M Gottlied. saying in a statement to the seattle times. “The state has put politics before constitutional rights and is penalizing law-abiding citizens, while this legislation does nothing to arrest and prosecute criminals who misuse firearms in defiance of all laws. existing gun control laws. It’s stupid.