Gun control supporters in Washington state don’t have to worry about losing the vote this November, as they have—for now—lost the right to have their latest wave of restrictions against law-abiding gun owners appear on the ballot. The NRA challenged the legitimacy of the initiative and won.
The Thurston County Superior Court last week ruled that the signature sheets did not comply with state law in that the size of the type was too small to be legible and that it didn’t include strikethroughs.
“The National Rifle Association is glad to see the court today recognized how negligent, if not worse, gun control advocates were in their signature-gathering for this ill-advised ballot initiative,” Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA-ILA, said of the ruling.
I-1639 introduced sweeping anti-gun restrictions that, among other things, included: creating a gun registry for the transfer of commonly owned semi-automatic rifles; introducing a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of semi-automatic rifles; imposing criminal liability on those who fail to store their firearms in accordance with state standards; and increasing the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles to 21, from 18.
The forces behind the initiative have the option of appealing the ruling to the Washington Supreme Court, so the battle is not won yet, and your NRA will continue advocating against the measure.
*The case was appealed and the Washington Supreme Court ruled that the initiative could be included on the ballot.
