Although the debate over gun-control measures is often surrounded by political dogma and by strident opinions on both sides of the issue, there should be room for a little common sense.
That is the case with House Bill 1501, which was passed by the Legislature and recently signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee. The new law will require gun dealers to notify law enforcement within five days when a would-be gun purchaser is blocked by a required background check.
The effect will help protect the public, particularly victims of domestic violence who live in fear of their attackers. Law enforcement will be able to alert victims that their abuser has attempted to purchase a weapon; until now, those who illegally attempted to procure a gun could simply move on to the next dealer while facing no repercussions. An electronic database also will allow officers to see whether the driver they have pulled over or the person in the home they are visiting has attempted to illegally buy a gun.
Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, said: “Never before in this state has there been a requirement that when some knucklehead goes to try to buy a firearm and knows he shouldn’t have a firearm, that there’s some follow-up on that. We want there to be follow-up on that. We want there to be criminal consequences if you knowingly, illegally try to purchase a firearm.”
As mentioned, this is simple common sense, even in a debate that often eschews such reasonable discussion. The bill eventually passed the House 83-13, and it passed the Republican-controlled Senate by a 49-0 vote. Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, was the only Southwest Washington lawmaker to vote in opposition.
The new law follows Initiative 594, which passed with 59 percent of the vote in 2014. That required background checks for any sale or transfer of a gun, including private transactions. The primary goal was to close a loophole that allowed for sale of weapons at gun shows without background checks, but the law did not provide for follow-up if a would-be purchaser failed such a check.
According FBI statistics, there were more than 3,000 unlawful attempts to purchase a gun in Washington last year, and more than half of those were by potential buyers who had criminal convictions or court orders filed against them. That highlights the importance of the new law for survivors of domestic abuse.
One of the leading advocates for the legislation was Courtney Weaver of Seattle, who was shot in the face and the arm seven years ago by an abusive boyfriend. Weaver will now be notified by law enforcement if her ex, who is scheduled to be released from prison in 2019, fails a background check in an attempt to purchase a gun. “It would be the surest sign, be the surest way to predict what he was going to do next,” Weaver said.
There is much room for discussion about gun violence and gun control in this country. The Second Amendment affirms the rights of citizens to bear arms, and that right is essential. But there also must be room for common sense. Protecting citizens and law enforcement from those who are known to engage in violent behavior is one area in which that applies.
The Legislature and the governor are wise to recognize that reality and strengthen efforts to keep the bad guys from purchasing a gun.
