Good News/Bad News

NRA-ILA | Washington: Gun Ban Bills Fail Crossover Deadline

Today, March 13th at 5:00PM, was the cutoff deadline for all bills to be voted out of the chamber in which they originated. Having failed to receive a floor vote, the following bills are likely dead for this year.

The Substitute to Senate Bill 5062, sponsored by Senator Patty Kuderer (D-48), and House Bill 1068, sponsored by Representative Javier Valdez (D-46), were filed at the request of Attorney General Bob Ferguson. SB 5062 would have banned the possession of ammunition magazines with a capacity greater than 10 and HB 1068 would have banned those greater than 15. They would have encompassed the standard capacity magazines for many handguns and rifles commonly owned by law-abiding citizens for self-defense. SB 5062 would have required that those who owned non-compliant magazines prior to the ban would only be allowed to possess them on their own property and in other limited instances such as at licensed shooting ranges and nationally sanctioned sport shooting events. These magazines would have had to be transported unloaded and locked separately from firearms and stored at home locked, making them unavailable for self-defense.

Senate Bill 5174, sponsored by Senator Guy Palumbo (D-1), would have increased the time, cost, and government red tape that law-abiding adults must go through in order to obtain a Concealed Pistol License by requiring a mandatory training course that meets arbitrary standards. Adding additional barriers to law-abiding citizens who wish to exercise a constitutional right would not improve public safety. Concealed carry permit holders have consistently demonstrated themselves to be one of the most law-abiding segments of the population in Washington and across the country. Hindering them from being able to defend themselves and their families would not affect criminals who do not obey the law.

Senate Bill 5745, sponsored by Senator Marko Liias (D-21), would have expanded Washington’s existing Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) to allow Second Amendment rights to be suspended for individuals alleged to make certain threats by third party accusers with little, if any, real evidence and limited “due process” for the respondent. Hearings for the orders would have been ex parte, where the respondent would not have been present to challenge the accuser and defend against allegations made against them. The issuance of an order would have immediately prohibited the respondent from exercising their Second Amendment rights. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms should not be treated as a second-class right and should only be restricted consistent with the constitutional requirements of due process.

House Bill 1010, sponsored by Representative Tana Senn (D-41), would have allowed the Washington State Patrol to destroy forfeited firearms rather than raise funds by selling them to licensed firearm dealers.

However, several anti-gun bills did receive a floor vote and passed their chamber of origin, and are still alive for the session.

House Bill 1225, sponsored by Representative Laurie Jinkins (D-27), would require law-enforcement to seize firearms and ammunition when they are called to the scene of an alleged domestic violence incident and hold them for at least five business days. This would result in property being confiscated without first going through due process and subjecting citizens to bureaucratic red tape to get their property returned.

House Bill 1465, sponsored by Representative Roger Goodman (D-45), would require CPL holders to undergo a state background check on handgun purchases instead of the instant NICS check that is currently being conducted as a courtesy by the FBI. Unfortunately, beginning July 1st, the FBI will no longer be conducting these courtesy NICS checks for CPL holders.

House Bill 1786, sponsored by Representative Laurie Jinkins (D-27), would expand firearm seizures to a wider range of protective orders with little to no due process, and in some cases, would remove a judge’s discretion as to whether to impose firearm restrictions upon respondents of protective orders.

Senate Bill 5027, sponsored by Senator David Frockt (D-46), would expand Washington’s existing Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO). It would affirm that the ERPO can be issued against minors while also infringing upon the self-defense rights of law-abiding parents or others in the household without due process.

Senate Bill 5181, sponsored by Senator Kuderer, would suspend Second Amendment rights without due process for six months from individuals who are admitted for a 72-hour mental health evaluation, but who are not subsequently involuntarily committed.

The Substitute to Senate Bill 5434, sponsored by Senator Claire Wilson (D-30), would increase the areas where law-abiding citizens are prohibited from possessing firearms, including holders of a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) carrying a handgun for self-defense. It would mandate that child care facilities be “gun-free zones” where law-abiding citizens would be unable to defend themselves and their loved ones against criminals who simply ignore such arbitrary boundaries. In addition, they would be required to post signs indicating their “gun-free zone” status.

In addition, pro-gun legislation, House Bill 1934, also passed its chamber of origin and will be advancing. Sponsored by Representative Michelle Caldier (R-26), HB 1934 would allow military members who are stationed or assigned out-of-state to renew their CPL by mail.

Thank you to all the NRA members and Second Amendment supporters that attended committee hearings and contacted legislators. While your NRA is at the Capitol on a daily basis throughout the session, it is your continued involvement that makes the difference. Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on these bills and others affecting our Second Amendment rights in Washington.

Columbia County, OR, Sheriff; a Review of sorts

For those Not From Around Here, the state of Oregon is Shall Issue for concealed handgun licenses for residents, and says that counties "may issue licenses to residents of adjacent states", i.e., California, Idaho, Nevada, and Washington.

Most counties seem to take the position that this means "residents of states adjacent to them", which means that many counties that are inclined to be so generous, only do so for folks directly across the state line; this also means most counties say "there are no states adjacent to us, so we won't do it." For years Clatsop county, at the mouth of the Columbia River, was considered to be the best bet for a non-resident permit, to the point that they were inundated beyond their ability to handle the load (they said), and started restricting issue to residents of Washington counties on the Olympic peninsula; that is, counties that are adjacent (or close to) Clatsop County. (This is a shame, as Clatsop County is a convenient destination for a weekend getaway; Seaside is a rather typical tourist stop which happens to be on a beach that Lewis and Clark frolicked on, but Astoria has some legit attractions, like the Columbia River Maritime Museum.)

Several years ago, the Sheriff of Grant County, which is entirely surrounded by other Oregon counties, and which I am told is the poorest county in Oregon, struck upon a radical plan to raise funds for his department: He would take his concealed handgun licensing show on the road, visiting gun shows in adjacent states.

I believe he did one or two shows in California first, then did one in Washington, and by the third or fourth fun show he had raised enough money to purchase a portable digital fingerprinting system.

Other Sheriff's got into the act; I heard a claim (unsubstantiated) that the efforts were coordinated among the Sheriffs.

So last summer I got a calendar reminder that our OR permits would expire in 6 months. Our latest permits were issued by Columbia County, just west of Portland, east of Clatsop County, and across the Columbia River from Brigid's hometown. I reset the reminder to three months out...

While I had "use or lose" leave time, alas, various things prevented us making plans before the permits expired, so we wound up going one week late.

Here's the deal: Columbia County only issues non-resident permits to residents of Washington. You need your WA CPL. If you go during the week you make an appointment, online, for a half hour block. $60.00.
They process permits on some Saturdays, cash only, on a walk-in basis.

So I made our appointments for 2:00 and 2:30, we got a room in Seaside at the time share for a couple of days, drove over -- in the pouring rain -- showed up at 13:50...
...and we were both done including photographs by 14:00.

Now, a new permit requires fingerprinting, so I'm sure those appointments take longer, but I still regard that as pretty good.

Also, part of the reason we got delayed until after our OR permits expired was that Mrs. Drang had to renew her WA CPL first, and on our way there she realized she had left it sitting on the desk.

Lanie (I think I'm spelling her name correctly) said "no problem" and gave us an email address to send a scan of her CPL to, and said they would process it normally.

So, if you're from Washington State and want to get (or renew) an Oregon carry permit, we endorse the Concealed Handgun Licensing services of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

GOAL Post 2018-8

I've skipped the last couple of GOAL Posts, they are linked in the right-hand sidebar. 

But I felt that this week's was important to post, if only for Joe's comments on the recent events in Florida.

As usual, minor editing for formatting, a couple of typos or elisions from the original are called out with "{sic}".

***

FROM: wa-ccw@yahoogroups.com (Joe Waldron)

TO: undisclosed recipients

SENT: Fri 2/23/2018 5:50 PM

SUBJECT: GOAL Post 2018-8

Legislative Update from Olympia23 February 2018

• BILLS MOVE
• NO PUBLIC HEARINGS NEXT WEEK
• CONFERENCE COMMITTEES
• TWO WEEKS LEFT IN SESSION
• FLORIDA SHOOTING

HB 2363 (drone delivery of contraband) passed out of Senate Law & Justice to Senate Rules awaiting a floor vote. HB 2519 (return of CPLs) also passed out of Senate Law & Justice to Rules, but not before they amended the bill to it’s original form, removing the language that allowed current and former military members aged 18-20 to apply for and receive a concealed pistol license (several states with age 21 CPL requirements have opened them up to military members over 18). ed {sic} on the House floor to reimburse those owners who surrender them to police. SB 5553 (suicidal, waiver of firearm rights) passed out of the House on a77-20 vote with one excused.SB 5992 (bump stock ban) passed out of the House on a 56-41 vote also. The bill was amended to create a buyback program for banned bump stocks. Seven other amendments to limit the impact of the bill failed.SB 6298 (DV harassment firearms ban) passed out of the House Judiciary committee with an important amendment. Back in 1994, when many DV-related misdemeanors were made firearm disqualifiers, it was retroactive – a listed DV-related conviction at any time in the past prohibited future possession of firearms.SB 6298 was amended to allow only DV harassment convictions after this law takes effect to act as a disqualifier.

Unfortunately, the amendment is still lipstick on a pig. No misdemeanor conviction of any law should allow denial of a fundamental, enumerated right listed in the Constitution. Period. Add to that the common he said, she said nature of many of these DV offenses, in many cases with no physical proof offered.(We’ve been over this before: domestic violence is a serious issue and must not be tolerated, but if it’s that serious, make it a felony.)

No public hearings involving firearms are scheduled for next week. It’s all floor action now.

If a bill is amended in the second chamber and passes, it must go back to the original chamber to approve the change. If approval (another floor vote) is not granted, it goes to a conference committee composed of members from both chambers to iron out the difference(s). Then it goes back to both chambers for approval.

At this point, and we’re pretty far along in the session, it appears there will be no immediate, direct impact of the Florida shooting in Olympia. For now.

If you’ve been following the national news all this past week, it appears the only thing in the world that has happened is the Parkland, Florida school shooting. The overwhelming media focus is on gun control, calling for bans on AR-15s and other “assault weapons,” raising the age to purchase ”assault weapons,” or in some cases, all firearms, to 21.Suggestions have also been made by some to arm SOME teachers (the establishment doesn’t like that, nor do teachers’ unions), or to provide for more school resource officers. The outcome remains to be seen.

A couple of things of note, though. The call for more gun control seems to be exceptionally-well organized. And funded. One Parkland survivor invited to attend a CNN episode on the shooting says he was denied the opportunity to ask the questions he wanted to ask, and instead was given a scripted question to ask. More and more information has come out about the shooter and the incident. He was a long term “problem kid,” with many fellow students reporting major issues with him including threats, he was expelled from Parkland, the Broward County Sheriff’s deputies had made more than three dozen calls to his home in the past few years. Clearly red flags were being waved – and ignored. Then the FBI dropped the ball after the “kid” posted a You Tube comment that he wanted to become a “professional school shooter” (a comment alleged made at other times and places, too).

The worst failure here was the fact that they just revealed that the on-scene School Resource Officer stayed outside under cover when the shooting started, and remained outside for at least four minutes. The major lesson learned in 1999 after the Columbine, CO, school shooting is that you don’t wait outside to see how things develop, you immediately enter. It’s called “running to the sound of gunfire” and has been “school shooter” Rule #1 since 1999.The news is reporting that the officer has resigned, but most fail to add that he was actually allowed to retire.

Just before I closed this out, another local police department whose officers responded to the Parkland H.S. shooting are reporting that when they arrived on scene, four additional Broward County deputies were also outside the school, guns drawn, but not going inside.

Former Milwaukee County Sheriff, NRA Director and staunch pro-gun advocate made the comment that George Soros fingerprints are all over this. I tend not to buy into conspiracy theories for a variety of reasons, but the number of coincidences in this one certainly raise questions. (And the media now says these conspiracy theories originated with the Russian{sic}. Maybe the shooter was a Russian immigrant?)

BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:

{After the jump. DWD}

GOAL Post 2018-2

Week two. 
There was a rally in Olympia today, only about 150 or so showed up. The weather sucks, and getting to Oly from north of Tacoma has become something of a nightmare. So far as I know, though, there was no Open Cary jackassery, so we have that going for us... 
(Since I am now working Graveyard Shift, any such activity is awkward for me, at best...)

In addition to the efforts on the part of Seattle commies to infringe on the Second Amendment Rights of Washingtonians, they are also said to be considering passing a "sweetened beverage" tax; from the description, they looked at the one Seattle itself recently passed and said "Hold my non-fat half-caff latte and watch this!"
(Milk-based beverages are exempt, but under this proposal, diet and alcoholic beverages will not be...)

This after the first order of business, which was repealing the state law requiring a two thirds majority for any tax bills.

Meanwhile, Hizzoner The Governor really, really, REALLY wants to institute a carbon tax on Washingtonians. 

Like I said last week, batten down the hatches and fasten your seat belts...

***

FROM: GOAL WA <goalwa@cox.net> (Joe Waldron)

TO: wa-ccw@yahoogroups.com
SENT: Fri 1/12/2018 3:13 PM

SUBJECT: GOAL Post 2018-2

GOAL Post 2018-2

Legislative Update from Olympia12 January 2018 

• GUN RIGHTS RALLY
• LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
• NEW GUN BILLS FILED
• PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED

Somewhere between 125-150 gun rights supporters showed up at the rally conducted on the Capitol Campus earlier today.Several legislators spoke to the crowd, including Representatives Matt Shea (R-4), Brian Blake (D-19), Vicki Kraft (R-17), Morgan Irwin (R-31) and Senator Phil Fortunato (R-31). After the formal presentations ended, individual participants visited their legislators’ offices. A big thank you to the legislators who spoke and to all who made the trek to Olympia to show the flag..

The following cut-off dates are proposed for bills under consideration in the 2018 regular legislative session. As a general rule, if a bill fails to pass a hurdle, it is considered dead for the session. Exceptions can be made.

2 February: Bills must pass out of policy committee

5 February: Bills must pass out of chamber fiscal committee (only bills with major fiscal impact)

14 February: Bills must pass out of house of origin (House bills out of House, Senate bills out of Senate)

23 February: Bills must pass out of policy committee in second chamber

26 February: Bills with major fiscal impact must pass out of second chamber fiscal committee

2 March: Bills must pass out of second chamber (House bills out of Senate, Senate bills out of House), except for bills in a conference committee to iron out differences in House/Senate versions,budget bills and initiatives.

8 March: Sine die – close of regular legislative session.

HB 2363, by Rep. Pellicciotti (D-30), makes any attempt to use a drone to deliver a deadly weapon to an incarcerated individual a Class C felony.SB 6146, by Sen. Saldada (D-37), repeals RCW 9.41.290, our state preemption law, that prohibits local government from passing its own gun laws.I believe Washington was first in the nation with this, 35 years ago. 42 states now have preemption laws. If this passes, every county, city and town can pass their own gun control laws, a patchwork quilt of laws that will trip up gun owners traveling across the state.SB 6247, by Sen. Dhingra (D-45), prohibits firearm possession by individuals with a history of violence who are not deemed competent to stand trial.

The Senate Law & Justice Committee will conduct public hearings on SBs 5992 (trigger devices), 6049 (magazine restrictions), 5444 (modern sporting rifle registration), 5463 (safe storage) and 6146 (preemption repeal) on 15 January at 10 a.m. in Senate Hearing Room 4, John A. Cherberg Building.That is the only public hearing on gun bills scheduled this week.A strong turnout would help.

BILL NUMBER/SUBJECT/SPONSOR/STATUS/GOAL POSITION:

GOAL Post 2018-1

New year, new legislative session.

Batten down the hatches, fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a rough ride...

The good news, this is the short session, that allegedly focuses on budgetary issues. The bad news is, the Democrats are in control.

I'm leaving the full text of this GOAL Post in the main blog, instead of inserting a "jump" to shorten it. That leave the full list of bills here. You'll notice there are a lot of "Ban this, Mandatory that" bills, but few "Exception/Allow/Repeal the other."

Like I said, the Democrats are in control...

***

FROM: GOAL-WA (goalwa@cox.net)(Joe Waldron)

TO: undisclosed recipients

Sent: [wa-ccw] GOAL Post 2018-1

Subject: GOAL Post 2018-1

Legislative Update from Olympia5 January 2018

• RALLY IN OLY FRIDAY 12 JANUARY
• LEGISLATURE CONVENES MONDAY, 8 JANUARY (60 DAY SESSION)
• DEMOCRATS IN COMPLETE CONTROL
• BILLS HELD OVER FROM 2017
• NEW GUN BILLS PRE-FILED
• LEGISLATIVE TUTORIAL
• LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
• NEXT WEEK’S HEARING SCHEDULE
• SENATE GUN BILL HEARING MONDAY 15 JANUARY
• LEGISALATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
• HOW TO TESTIFY AT A PUBLIC HEARING
• PUBLIC HEARING VERSUS EXECUTIVE SESSION

(This will be a long GOAL Post as I have to describe the environment and the processes involved for new readers. Future issues will be shorter. Also keep in mind that GOAL Post focuses on gun law only, we do not cover hunting issues. The Hunters Heritage Council does that well. I normally post GP on Friday evenings to summarize that week’s activities and provide a forecast for the next. I’ll be at the SHOT show in Las Vegas the week of the 22^nd , so that one may come late.)

First business first: a gun rights rally will be held on the Capitol Campus next Friday, January 12th, , put on by Rick Halle of the Gun Rights Coalition. It will begin at 9 a.m. and continue likely for an hour or more, with both outside and legislative speakers. (Yes, it’s a Friday, and unlike the people bussed in to attend many liberal rallies, gunnies have to work. Are your gun rights worth a day off?) After the formal presentation, attendees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the campus layout (the Capitol, or “legislative” building where floor sessions are conducted, as well as the John L. O’Brien House Office Building, the John A. Cherberg Senate Office Building, and the Irv Newhouse Senate Office Building. This is a great opportunity to locate your two representatives’ and one senator’s office and introduce yourself to their legislative aides. Hopefully over the coming two months they’ll become familiar with your name and maybe even your face!(Gun bill hearing in Senate Law & Justice three days later.See last item in the narrative.

The legislature convenes on Monday, January 8^th , for its “short” (60 day) session. This is a continuation of the 65^th biennium, which started in January 2017.If their work is not completed, they can be called back by the governor for a 30-day special session, as happened last year with THREE back-to-back special sessions.

For the past several sessions control of the Senate has been held by the Republicans, thanks to conservative Democrat Senator Tim Sheldon (D-35) who “organizes with Republicans,” just as Vermont’s Bernie Sanders and Maine’s Angus King do with Democrats in the U.S. Senate. That one seat majority was critical in keeping anti-gun bills off the Senate floor. Unfortunately, those days are gone. The Republicans lost the seat in the 45^th District in the Special Election held in November. This means Democrats chair all of the committees in both House and Senate, and have at least a one or two seat majority in each committee. And while a small handful of individual Democrat legislators are pro-gun, party policy is definitely anti-gun, anti-rights.

The House is still split 50 Democrats – 48 Republicans.

Because this is simply “part 2” of a two-year legislative period, all bills filed and not passed in last years’ session are up for play this year, as well as new bills filed.29 bills (19 House, 10 Senate) remain in the hopper from last year. Most will not likely be touched (especially the pro-gun bills), but any or all COULD be brought into play.

In addition, since early December several new gun-related bills have been filed for action this session. In the House, HB 2293 (Kagi, D-32) bans possession of firearms at day care centers; HB 2306 (Van Werven, R-42) allows veterans with CPLs to carry concealed on community college campuses; and HB 2329 (Walsh, R-19) strengthens the current CPL privacy law. In the Senate, SB5992 (Van De Wege, D-24) bans certain “trigger devices” – e.g. bump-fire-stocks, etc, and SB 6049 (Frockt, D-3) bans “high capacity magazines” – e.g any magazine that holds more than ten rounds – to include handgun magazines (existing possession is grandfathered, with restrictions).

A complete list of bills under consideration is included below in the “BILL STATUS” section. It also contains the bill’s prime sponsor, the current status of the bill (committee location) and the GOAL position on the bill. Committee abbreviations are provided at the bottom of that section. As this is written there are currently 34 gun bills available for consideration/action.

For those new to legislative affairs, here’s how the process works: When a bill is filed in the House or Senate (or both, simultaneously, called “companion bills”) it is assigned to a policy committee. Most gun-related bills go to the Senate Law & Justice Committee in the Senate. In the House it’s a little more complicated, as it may be sent to House Judiciary or House Public Safety (most will go to Judiciary). Public hearings may be held, after which the bill may (or may not) be voted out of committee. If the bill has a fiscal impact (usually an expenditure of more than $50,000), it must then go to Senate Ways & Means or one of a couple of House fiscal committees. The bill then goes to the Senate or House Rules Committee, where it must be voted on to pass out to the floor for a full vote.

After a bill passes the Senate or House, it then goes over to the opposite chamber (House or Senate), where the whole process starts over again. If the bill passes the second chamber in the same form it passed the first, it goes to the governor for signature (or veto or partial veto). If changes are made in the second chamber, it goes back to the first for concurrence. It may also go to a conference committee from both chambers to resolve differences. The final version must pass both chambers.

The bill then goes to the Governor, who may sign it into law, veto (kill) the bill, or sign a partial veto (killing just selected section(s) of the bill). The governor may also allow a bill to become law without his signature. Most signed bills take effect on 1 July, although bills with an “emergency clause” (considered immediately necessary for public safety) take effect upon signature by the governor.

One of the first items of business in each session is the adoption of the session calendar, identifying dates by which bills must clear various hurdles. A bill that fails to clear the policy committee or chamber floor by the designated date is generally considered dead for the year, although they may be “resurrected” by parliamentary procedure. I’ll post the cut-off dates for the 2018 session in the next issue of GOAL Post.

The following links can be used to contact legislators:

http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Senators/

http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Representatives/

Legislative e-mail addresses are available at http://app.leg.wa.gov/MemberEmail/Default.aspx

The link contains a quick tutorial on providing testimony at public hearings on bills under consideration. I would urge you to read it and consider visiting Olympia to let YOUR voice be heard. Http://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx

Public hearings are committee meetings open to the public, where the public is allowed to testify on bills, to give their views on the bill. But all votes on bills taken by a committee are conducted in what are called “executive sessions. “They are typically part of a public session, with a few minutes set aside to vote on bills previously heard by the committee. Public testimony is just that, open to the public for comment. On the other have, no public input is allowed during executive session. You are welcome to sit there, and to count votes, but silence from the public is the rule. Just FYI for those of you who have not attended legislative public meetings before.

At this time, no gun bills are scheduled to be heard the first week of the session. The Senate will conduct an executive session (vote) on SB 5553, suicide waiver of rights, on 11 January. This is a holdover from last year and no public input will be taken.

Legislative committee schedule are posted on the legislative web site on Wednesday evenings. It is not on the schedule yet, but I have been informed that the Senate Law & Justice Committee will conduct a public hearing on Monday, 15 January (Martin Luther King Day), at 1000, in Senate Hearing Room 4 (John A Cherberg Building).Bills reportedly under consideration include SBs 5992 (“trigger devices”) and 6049 (“high capacity magazine’ ban).A strong turnout is helpful. As is carpooling, given parking limitations on the Capitol Campus.(Who knows how many busloads of people will show up from Seattle supporting the gun control bills on this holiday?)

BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:

HB 1000 Use of deadly force Doglio (D-22) H.PubSaf OPPOSE

HB 1004 Possession of firearms/state of emergency Shea (R-4 )H. Jud. SUPPORT

HB 1015 Limiting restrictions on concealed carry Shea (R-4)H. Jud. SUPPORT

HB 1122 Safe storage of firearms Kagi (D-32) H. Rules OPPOSE

HB 1134 Assault weapon ban Peterson (D-21) H. Jud. OPPOSE

HB 1174 Firearm safety education in schools Muri (R-28) H. Edu SUPPORT

HB 1181 Prohibiting handgun sales registr yBlake (D-19)H. Jud. SUPPORT

HB 1190 Prohibiting handgun sales registry Taylor (R-15) H. Jud. SUPPORT

HB 1270 Encouraging voluntary use of locking devices Harmsworth (R-44) H. Fin. SUPPORT

HB 1380 Repeals I-594 Shea (R-4) H. Jud. SUPPORT

HB 1381  Universal recognition of all state CPLs Blake (D-19) H. Jud .SUPPORT

HB 1387Assault weapons background check Jinkins (D-27)H. Jud. OPPOSE

HB 1483Allows destruction of forfeited firearms Lovick (D-44) H. Rules OPPOSE

HB 1529Use of force Ryu (D-32) H.Pub.Saf. OPPOSE

HB 1592Delivery of firearms to LEOs Klippert (R-H. Jud. SUPPORT

HB 1725I-594 check exemption for CPL holders Koster (R-44)H. Jud. SUPPORT

HB 1731 Certain exemptions to I-594 Jinkins (D27) H. Rules SUPPORT

HB 1900 Hunter ed funding/NRA license plates Griffey (R-35)H. Trans. NEUTRAL

HB 1933 Transfer of firearms at non-profit events Walsh (R-19)H. Jud. SUPPORT

HB 2293 Bans firearms in daycare facilities (exception) Kagi (D-32) OPPOSE

HB 2306 Allows licensed veterans to carry at Comm Coll Van Werven (R-) SUPPORT

HB 2329 Strengthens law making CPL data private Walsh (R-19) SUPPORT

SB 5000 Use of deadly force McCoy (D-38)S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 5050 Assault weapon ban Frockt (D-3) S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 5073 Use of force McCoy (D-38)S. W&M OPPOSE

SB 5216 Firearm safety education in schools O’Ban (R-28)S. K-12 SUPPORT

SB 5441Involuntary freeze on firearm possession Kuderer (D-)S .HumSer NEUTRAL

SB 5444 Background check for “assault weapons” Frockt (D-46)S.. L&J OPPOSE

SB 5463 Mandatory safe storage of firearms Palumbo (D-S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 5506 Transfer of firearms at non-profit events Zeiger (R-25)S. Rules SUPPORT

SB 5553 Suicidal, waiver of rights Pedersen (D-43)S. L&J NEUTRAL

SB 5795 Mandatory firearm liability insurance Chase (D-32)S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 5992 Bans certain “trigger devices” Van De Wege (D-24)S. L&J OPPOSE

SB 6049 Bans “high capacity” magazines Frockt (D-3) S. L&J OPPOSE

HB = House bill, SB = Senate bill.L&J = Law & Justice, Jud = Judiciary, PubSaf = Public Safety, HC = Health Care, H. K-12 = House Early education, Aprop = Appropriations, Fin = Finance, W&M = Ways & Means “S” before a bill number indicates Substitute (amended).

HEARINGS SCHEDULED:

None scheduled

LEGISLATIVE HOT LINE: You may reach your Representatives and Senator by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000.Toll free!!!The hearing impaired may obtain TDD access at 1-800-635-9993.Also toll free!!!

1-800-562-6000TDD 1-800-635-9993

OTHER DATA: Copies of pending legislation (bills), legislative schedules and other information are available on the legislature's web site at "www.leg.wa.gov“. Bills are available in Acrobat (.pdf) format. You may download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site (http://www.adobe.com). You may also obtain hard copy bills, initiatives, etc, in the mail from the Legislative Bill Room FREE OF CHARGE by calling 1-360-786-7573.Copies of bills may also be ordered toll free by calling the Legislative Hotline at (800) 562-6000.You may also hear floor and committee hearing action live at http://www.tvw.org/ (you need "RealAudio" to do this, available free at the TVW web site).

By reading the House and Senate "bill reports" (hbr, sbr) for each bill, you can see how individual committee members voted. By reading the "roll call" for each bill, you can see how the entire House or Senate voted on any bill. The beauty of the web site is that ALL this information is available, on line, to any citizen.

GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to "goalwa@cox.net ".Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at "jwaldron@halcyon.com" or by telephone at (425) 985-4867.Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.

If you believe you have received this e-mail in error, please e-mail me at "goalwa@cox.net" with the words "Unsubscribe GOAL Post" in the subject line. I will remove your name immediately. Keep in mind GOAL Post is also published on several gun lists. If you received GP via a list, you must contact that list's admin to unsubscribe.

Upcoming WAC gun show(s):

Monroe13-14 January

Puyallup20-21 January

"The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men."

Article 1, Section 24

Constitution of the State of Washington

Copyright 2018 Gun Owners Action League of WA

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Posted by: GOAL WA <goalwa@cox.net>

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The Second Amendment Dichotomy

It seems to me that the tragic events over the weekend in Sutherland, Texas, bring the two sides of the gun control "debate" into stark relief.

The gun controllers would have everyone believe that all gun owners everywhere are just like the murderous scumbag.

Pro-gun folks hold up the likes of Stephen Willeford and Johnnie Langendorff as role models and ideals.

(We'd like to believe they're typical of gun owners, but I prefer to go with "role models and ideals".)

The evidence shows we're closer to the truth than the gun banners.

Two White House Petitions

National Reciprocity for the Nation's 17 Million Concealed Handgun Permit Holders! | We the People: Your Voice in Our Government

Right now at 8,901, and

Needs 91,909 signatures by August 17, 2017 to get a response from the White House

Also: Repeal the NFA | We the People: Your Voice in Our Government

267,451 signed. At this point, no idea whether it had enough signatures by the deadline, which was in February, to get any attention.

 

Of course, the SHARE act, if passed, will gut NFA '34 anyway.

 

As has been par for the course since this WhiteHouse.Gov petition thing has started, many or most of the things listed are silly, pointless, puerile, hyper-partisan. 

The Afghan Girls Robotics team was allowed to come to the USA to compete, but the petitions (two, at least) are still there.
Charlie Gard and his parents re coming to America in hopes that an experimental treatment will work. (Either way, see the National Health Death Panel in action! See the Americans give the National Health Death Panel the finger!)
"Make Trump take a MENSA-monitered IQ test"? smh

Rangemaster Combative Pistol, Take Two

See also: Rangemaster Combatives Pistol, Take One, which was posted a few weeks ago, when I really thought it would take me a day or two to finish this.

Here is the description of the course curriculum from the Rangemaster Web Site:

This is an intensive weekend course that covers all of the essential skills involved in fighting with a handgun. There is an all day session Saturday and Sunday, 9:00am to 6:00pm.  Topics covered in this course will include:

• Rapid presentation from concealed carry
• Effective gun handling techniques, designed to work under stress
• Rapid reloading techniques
• High speed accuracy at close ranges
• Precision shooting at mid-ranges
• Shooting effectively with one hand, with either hand
• Fixing malfunctions rapidly and reliably
• Proper defensive mindset, personal tactics, and more.

Expect to fire about 800-1,000 rounds of ammunition. This course is designed expressly for the armed citizen who carries a concealed handgun, or the plain clothes or off duty police officer.  You will need a good handgun, holster, belt, and magazine pouch, at least three magazines, a ball cap and concealment garment (vest, jacket, windbreaker, etc), eye and ear protection, and rain gear (we train rain or shine). A cooler with soft drinks and snacks is a very good idea.
You will need a quality handgun and gear. It is a good idea to bring a second gun just like your primary, in case something breaks on your primary gun. Please bring good quality ammunition. You will shoot better, your gun will function better, and you will learn faster. Leather or kydex holsters are fine—PLEASE NO flimsy nylon or cloth holsters.  Your primary instructor will be Tom Givens.

The class started out in the classroom, with the obligatory review of the facilities and of safety rules.

Tom gave a brief introduction to his experiences as a police officer in Memphis, Tennessee; generally ignored by the media is the fact that Memphis has, and has had for decades, a violent crime rate that rivals or exceeds those of Chicago and Detroit.

Tom says that, "not counting active duty military", he has trained over 40,000 people, and that of them he has confirmed that 66 of them have been in gunfights. Of those 66, three have lost the fight.

Tom gives the stats as "63-0-and 3", explaining that all three losses were actually forfeits, since all three violated what has become known as "Rule 1 of Gunfighting: Have a Gun."

We also reviewed the basics of "Defensive Shooting Technique".

Rangemaster Combatives Pistol, Take One

This weekend I took Tom Givens' Rangemaster Combative Pistol class, at West Coast Armory North

• The way you know it was a good class is you walk away from it not sure if you can digest all the learning that occurred.
• AAR/Comments on actual learning that occurred will follow in a day or two three. {edit: OOPS! Sorry, DWD}
• We spent more time on the range than in the classroom, about a 3 to 1 ratio or higher, but the classroom time was well-spent. 
• I've heard some say "If I spend money for a shooting class, I want to shoot, not hear a lecture."
• While some topics lend themselves best to demonstrate/drill on the range, others are really best addressed sitting at a desk, taking notes.
• West Coast Armory North is a nice facility. Three bays with 6 lanes each, well-ventilated, and clean and well-lit. John (owner, who was in the class) mentioned that they are changing out the backstop material later this summer.
• My complaints are two:
  
  1. It's too far north for me, and
  2. After most of the day on my feet, I was wishing John had put in an elevator.
• Seriously, returning to the (upstairs) classroom I felt like I'd just finished a 20 mile ruck march.
• Also, John, I was wrong about no mention on the blog about dancing: There is a reference to The Hot Brass Dance.
• The Detroit Holster Hastings worked well, within its design parameters. 
• I went with the Tek-Lok belt attachment.
• This meant that the holster stuck a quarter inch or so out from my body.
• This meant that there was a little more leverage for the holstered pistol to sag a bit.
• When I got home Saturday night I figured out how to move the spacers -- the Tek-Lok can work with up to a 1.75" belt, and comes with spaces for 1.5" belts -- to take up the slack. 
• I also switched to the Wilderness Frequent Flyer belt, which is a tad stiffer than the 5.11 Double Duty belt I had been wearing.
• Bottom Line: Good holster, not ideal for concealed carry for me. (Maybe the Metro, for concealed carry.)

GOAL Post 2017-Special 3

Reports from elsewhere suggest that the Republicans have presented a balanced budget, but that the Democrats are ready and rarin' to raise taxes, any taxes, all taxes, they don't care just so long as those nasty taxpayers give it up.

***

FROM: GOAL WA <goalwa@cox.net>

TO: undisclosed recipients

SENT: Fri 5/26/2017 2:02 PM

SUBJECT: GOAL Post 2017-Special 3

Legislative Update from Olympia 19 May 2017

• SPECIAL SESSION ENDS IN IMPASSE
• SECOND SPECIAL SESSION CONVENED
• PROCEDURAL NOTE
• CRITICAL SPECIAL ELECTION AHEAD

 The first special session ended earlier this week without budget resolution. Therefore the governor called them back immediately into a second special session. We’re now four days into the second 30-day special session.

As I have reported in the past, those bills that did not pass the legislature during the previous session – bills that died in committee or awaiting a floor vote -- are still alive for legislative purposes. They can be called back and acted on in any subsequent session during the biennium (2017-2018). As a general rule, this does not happen, but it is something we need to be alert to. Those bills (more than 2,000 of them) are effectively frozen in place, and the bills are annotated “BY RESOLUTION, REINTRODUCED AND RETAINED IN PRESENT STATUS. “This is NOT a reintroduction of the bill, nor is it an indication that any action is intended… at this time.

A critical special session will be held later this year. As a result of vacancies that occurred just after the general election last November, several seats are up for what is called “confirmation” to elect the temporary appointees. There will be special elections this year for five vacated Senate seats and three vacated House seats.

Control of the Senate rests on the Senate elections. If the Majority Coalition (24 Republicans and one conservative Democrat) lose a single seat (of the three currently held by Republicans), the Democrats take control of the Senate. At that time it’ll be a race to see what happens first: more gun control bills or higher taxes (the race will likely result in a tie, with both passing).

The three districts with Republican incumbents that need to hold their seats are in the 7^th (northeast Washington), 31^st (south King/north Pierce counties) and the 45^th (north King/south Snohomish counties). The biggest fight will be in the 45^th , and probably also the 31^st. The 7^th is a safe Republican district.

A Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, 1 August. The General Election is on Tuesday, 7 November.

More specifics in the next GOAL Post (probably in two weeks).

BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION: Nothing to report.

GOAL Post 2017-Special 2

As Joe notes below, all 5 of the gun bills that passed the legislature during the regular session--all of which were "acceptable", if not "good", let alone "on our wish list"--have been signed by Governor Inslee.

There's a lot of talk about him running for President in 2020, and I predict he will try and use the signing of these bills to establish some sort of bona fides for his claimed support for the Second Amendment.

Do not be fooled. He's just another left coast progressive. 

Joe also notes issues with the reporting of NICS denials. The Feds are supposed to pursue this, but do so rarely. That, of course, assumes that the denial is not due to a paperwork mistake or technical error.

***

FROM: GOAL WA goalwa@cox.net

TO: undisclosed recipients

SENT: Fri 5/12/2017 5:28 PM

SUBJECT: GOAL Post 2017-Special 2

Legislative Update from Olympia12 May 2017

•   GOVERNORS SIGNS ALL GUN BILLS
•   SPECIAL SESSION CONTINUES

I reported last week that Governor Inslee signed HB 1100. That means that starting in late summer or early fall (it takes time to set up the system), CPL holders will receive a postcard renewal notice 90 days before their CPL expires.

On May 10^th, the governor signed the remaining four gun-related bills awaiting action. He signed HB 1501, HB 1612, SB 5268 and SB 5552.

HB 1501 requires licensed dealers to notify the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) within five days if an individual pops negative (denial) on a NICS test. Denials may then be reported to the county prosecutor for his/her action, if appropriate. And if a person has a protection or no contact court order against the attempted buyer, the protected person must be notified that the individual attempted to acquire a firearm. Three things here: first, false “denials” are common, either because of mistaken identity or incorrect court documents (especially true of decades-old misdemeanor convictions). Second, an appeal may be filed to correct the record, thus preventing prosecution. Third, prosecution for what? An intentional false answer on an ATF Form 4443 is a false official statement, which is a violation of FEDERAL law. Whether it’s prosecutable as a state offense remains to be seen.

HB 1612 is a continuation of last year’s suicide prevention education bill. Among other measures, the program attempts to educated dealers on the outward signs of suicidal intent by some individuals.(I don’t recall the state, but many, many moons ago an eastern state prohibited sale of a handgun with either one round of ammunition or one magazine/cylinder load of ammunition. The former as a suicide preventive measure, the latter to supposedly restrict workplace violence.

SB 5268 adds e-mail notification of CPL expiration/renewal date provided an e-mail address was provided.

SB 5552 is the bone Democrats threw to gun owners this session, after they killed several solidly pro-gun bills.SB 5552 adds a few exceptions to the background check requirement of I-594, most dealing with close family members (in-laws). It also adds language exempting individuals with federal Curio & Relic licenses from background checks (on C&R-eligible firearms only), taking firearms away from suicidal individuals, and exempting background checks on temporary transfer of firearms to armed security guards by their employer, and transfer of firearms to military honor guards for funeral ceremonies.

The bills take effect on 1 July. That should close out the 2017 regular legislative session.

There are 10 days left in the 30-day Special Session as I write this, ten more days for the House and Senate to agree on a biennial operating budget. As reported before, the Republican-controlled Senate passed a balanced budget, funding all required programs, while the House passed a budget asking for $8 BILLION in tax increases. It’s hard to imagine how the two can be reconciled. 2/3 of the way through the session it does not appear there are any breakthroughs.

Bill Number	Topic	Sponsor	Status
SHB 1100	CPL renewal notice	Blake (D-19)	Governor signed
HB 1501	Illegal purchase of firearms	Hansen (D-23)	Governor signed
2SHB 1612	Suicide prevention	Orwall (D-33)	Governor signed
SB 5268	CPL renewal notice	Takko (D-19)	Governor signed
SB 5552	Certain exemptions to I-594	Pedersen (D-43)	Governor signed