Washington Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on January 26, 2005

Click here to view bill details.

Your attempt to override the second amendment will fail. The last joke of gun control expired nationally and hasn't been attempted to be renewed. Our rights to bear arms was not for hunting alone. It was to defend ourselves, and to keep the government in order should you desire to gain too much power over us who allow you to make laws. Back off.

When usefull idiots like Mr. Klien prevail we will find ourselves banning steel toed boots as they are in Germany, because thugs are using them as weapons. Taking the tools of defense away from honest citizens leaves them vulnerable to the tyranny of thugs and overzealous government officials. Our founding fathers knew that a "Representative Republic" would only survive as long as the populace had the power to control their government either through the vote or armed insurrection. We must support and defend the 2nd Amendment.

...and then there are other idiots, non-useful idiots, who don't know how to spell 'useful.'

We DON'T need any more gun laws! What we need is for the existing laws to be enforced. Prove to us that the existing laws don't work and get rid of them then pass new ones. Think about it for a minute, will criminals really begin to obey this new law? Of course not they already have and will continue to get, already illegal firearms. DUH!

I appreciate your help...

Regardless of spelling the writer makes some good points.

This goes beyond a 2nd Amend issue. There is a significant threat to 4th Amendment rights buried here -- that little bit about law enforcement in house checks once a year. Excuse me: law enforcement in my home? Without a warrant? Without probable cause? Another issue is who pays for this: Is there a budget bill that is providing funds to cover the costs to law enforcement for this? This is bad law. It is redundant law. It is unconstitutional law. And it won't help catch bad guys. Write your senators, involve your friends -- people get the liberty that they fight for.

Mr. Klein, you are the sort of government representative writers of the Second Amendment had in mind when they chose to defend themselves against government thuggery. Many have died in support of the Second Amendment, and many are willing to do so, today. You will fail, sir.

It is clear that Adam Kline and Jeanne Kohl-Welles have not read the Constitution of the State of Washington. ARTICLE I DECLARATION OF RIGHTS SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. 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.

Senator Kline's bill banning assault weapons is an outrageous and unconstitutional assault on not only the Second Amendment, but also the Fourth Amendment, with its provision for warantless and suspicionless police searches of private residences. Of course, it is no shock that Senator Kline wants to take your guns. After all, Senator Kline has a history of sponsoring legislation that would allow government to intrude deeply in our private lives. A good recent example of Senator Kline's true character can be seen in his co-sponsorship of the original version of a 2003 bill (SB 5412) that would have brought in mandatory fingerprinting for every driver's license applicant in the state. Politicians, like Kline, who have such contempt for the citizens they supposedly serve, know that an armed citizenry is the final bulwark that stands in the way of the intrusive, fascist society they would like to create. That is why they will never give up their fight to disarm law abiding citizens. Washingtonians should remember that one of the first things Hitler did when he took power was to confiscate privately held firearms. If Germany's citizens had refused to hand over their guns to the Gestapo, history would have turned out very differently - there never would have been an Auschwitz or Bergen-Belsen, and its unlikely there even would have been a second world war with all its destruction and loss of life. Think the Second Amendment doesn't matter? Think again.

As described this makes my old (60+ yrs) Savage 22 Pump Action an assault rifle. The magazine holds 17 rounds of LR, a double whammy. This prevents me from owning a 9mm semi-automatic? Since when is a semi-automatic pistol an assault weapon? If gun-banners weren't so brain damaged I'd think this was a joke. Mr. Kline has no clue as to what an assault weapon is. His proposal makes me question his ability to function as a State Senator. Is this the kind of representation we want in Olympia?

ARTICLE I DECLARATION OF RIGHTS SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. 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. The sad reality is that there already are a huge number of gun control laws on the books. I think most of them impair my right to bear arms in one way or the other. Hell that is their basic intent. Make it tough to buy, own, carry, or transport a weapon. I would probably say that most of these laws are unconstitutional but our courts have decided they are not. I would even go so far that some of them may even be reasonable. However it should then be the constitution that is changed. Put it to a vote of the people to change this basic right or quit passing more and more illegal gun control laws that criminals just laugh at. Wake up.

Actually, if you read the bill, criminals are exempted from its enforcement, see Section (2) 5(b)

The bill has a funding mechanism and it is us. It allows for 'reasonable' fees. Since yearly renewals are needed, this amounts to a gun ownership tax, convienient is it?

It seems to me that I am an average gun owner, I own both a semi-automatic pistol and a semi-automatic rifle, and I have hi-cap magazines for both. Convient that if this passes that I will become an instant criminal along with 1000s of other Washington citizens.

Well, reading the bill it appears that if you legally own such a weapon on the law's effective date you're grandfathered, and just have to register it. Of course, the question then becomes, how many of us would quietly refuse to do so, and then become instant criminals. Quite a few, I hope.

yeah... register, and go through another background check, and then do that EVERY year! Plus let the cops into your house once a year (no warrant required0 to inspect how you have it stored. Don't minimize the intrusiveness and the damage this bill does. It is truly hateful, vile, and unconstitutional.

Ahh, but you missed section 2 (2) which makes it a crime to possess detachable magazines for our firearms which have greater than a 10 round capacity. Its kind of funny that section 2 (4) exempts you at a gun range or shooting competition. So you can possess and use a hi-cap at a range, but can't take it home with you, or use it for concealed carry.

As soon as I saw the D's get control of Olympia, I knew they would be quick to come up with the same kind of legislation as they all proposed a few years ago with I-676. I knew they would forget the pasting they took in the next election cycle. This bill makes criminals out of thousands of Washingtonians who own guns as common as a .22 pump or a bolt acion .410 shotgun with a detachable box magazine. Last time it was handguns, this time it's the newly coined term "assault rifle" (the term didn't even exist until the Clinton gun bans of the 90's when it was dreamed up in an attempt to blur the facts that a semi-automatic is just a semi-automatic and not a machine gun). The tactics and the desired end result remain the same: Ban and/or register, license and tax, followed by confiscation of these and then all firearms in private ownership. Kline and the rest of the Seattle liberal "elite" are out of touch with reality and should confine their knee-jerk legislation to their own little fantsy world of King County. Maybe they could all learn what a vote is and who legally gets to vote. It will be interesting to hear some comments from the Governor on this one.

Found another one. SB 5593 Banning .50 caliber BMG rifles. Same language as this bill. Adam Kline again.

2005 House Bill 1213 (Concerning hunting safety for children) 2005 Senate Bill 5383 (Concerning hunting safety for children) 2005 House Bill 1473 (Regarding unsecured firearms) 2005 House Bill 1489 (Prohibiting weapons in the state legislative building) 2005 House Bill 1490 (Prohibiting firearms in state parks) 2005 House Bill 1580 (Regulating stun guns) 2005 House Joint Memorial 4002 (Requesting Congress to protect the firearms industry) 2005 Senate Joint Memorial 8005 (Regarding tort laws against the firearms industry) 2005 Senate Bill 5041 (Revising deadly weapon and firearm sentence ranges) 2005 Senate Bill 5131 (Revising provisions concerning possession of firearms by persons found not guilty by reason of insanity) 2005 Senate Bill 5167 (Changing restrictions on firearm noise suppressors) 2005 Senate Bill 5242 (Regarding penalties for inmates possessing weapons) 2005 Senate Bill 5342 (Encouraging safe storage of firearms) 2005 Senate Bill 5343 (Regulating the sale of firearms at gun shows and event) 2005 Senate Bill 5344 (Regulating possession of firearms on the state capitol campus) 2005 Senate Bill 5475 (Banning assault weapons) 2005 Senate Bill 5545 (Regarding the renewal of a concealed pistol license by members of the armed forces) 2005 Senate Bill 5574 (Regulating stun guns) 2005 Senate Bill 5593 (Banning .50 caliber BMG rifles)

If you want to protect the citizenry make laws with teeth and enforce them. don't try to eliminate the guns eliminate the criminals. I think if a person uses a gun to rob or assault someone they should recieve a sentance similar to attempted murder. They are obviously someone who is willing to take a life to achieve their goals. funny thing is most of these people wouldnt even consider using an assault weapon, they carry small pistols that are easily concealed and easy to toss away if they have to. The only reason to rally the troops around assault weapons control is in an attempt to reduce the opportunity of a Colombine type event but I blame the gunowner individually for letting their gun become involved in a tragety like that. please don't critique my spelling I am illiterate but I have a measure of "common sense".

I spent 21 years in military service to "support and defend the constitution." This proposal goes against everything my 21 years of service stood for. This is outragious. I couldn't wait to return to the state I loved and had been away from for those 21 years in the military. I will quit my job, take my kid out of school and move to another state the following day should this actually be passed into law.

There isn't a single feature of these so-called "assualt weapons" that poses a threat to public safety when possessed by a law-abiding citizen. I, for one, am a military veteran (USMC Infantry), and I am damed tired of my rights being impinged because of a relatively few criminals who already violate the rules and laws regarding the use of firearms in the commission of a crime, or politicians who need some "hot button" issue to try to ingraciate themselves to their constituancy (sp?)... Go after the criminals, not me. I invoke the Bill of Rights regarding freedom from unlawful search and seizure as far as allow officers of the state to enter my home. Strike down this travesty...

Sec. 1, Sub (18), Sub (d): Any shotgun capable of accepting a detachable magazine; Sec.1, Sub (19): "Detachable magazine" means a magazine, the function of which is to deliver one or more ammunition cartridges into the firing chamber, which can be removed from the firearm without the use of any tool, including a bullet or ammunition cartridge. What this means is that if your pump-action shotgun's magazine tube can be unscrewed without the use of tools (that would be most of them), then it is considered an "assault weapon". Kiss it goodbye.

This legislation is an "assault" against my rights under the constitution and used as a "weapon" against freedom. Kline should be "banned" from office.

With legislation like this if you are not already a member of the NRA please consider joining. If you are already a member please consider giving additional funds to the NRA in order to defeat this type of legislation. May these types of legislators be defeated at the ballot box!

Tacomas former chief of police murdered his wife and killed himself with a revolver.Crimes like this not only are not ever going to go away,but also have nothing to do with what this bill defines as an assault weapon.Criminals who commit murder will get weapons;this will not stop them.Stomping on our 2nd ammendment rights will not gain anything as long as there is mentally unstable people in positions of local or federal government who by their job description carry one or more weapons.Nor will it stop the other criminals from getting guns.Leave myself and other Americans alone,who exersise our right to keep and bear arms for the reason that this was intended;to protect our families and country from harm.Gain crime prevention another way and leave the law abiding alone.

This bill makes no sense. It turns (or has the potential) law-abiding citizens into criminals. It has no effect on real criminals except to make them feel safer to commit their crimes. It violates the 4th amendment as well as the 2nd and the state constitution as well. It puts an extra burden on an already overworked law enforcement system. I have served in the military for over 18 years and am currently a member of this states military dept. Passing laws like this makes my dedication to freedom and supporting the constitution a mute point and criminalizes my love of shooting sports. I thought I was supposed to defend these rights but apparently the ELECETED officials want to take away these rights, what’s left to defend? I shoot military style weapons because that is what I am comfortable with. Shooting once every year or every other year for military qualification is not enough to keep me proficient with a weapon should I actually get called up. I support the right to self-defense. Taking away the right to bear arms, which is the ultimate goal of people who support and sponsor laws such as this, only creates a society of victims, whether victim of crime or victim of oppression doesn’t matter, it makes us all victims. Another thing this law would do is pretty much eliminating any chance for a Washington resident to practice for ANY service rifle, match rifle or even Olympic competition. It would also affect business and jobs. There is nothing like killing off a sport and putting people out of work. My wife was going to start practicing for service rifle competitions, this law would prevent that. I would love to live in a society where there was no crime and there wouldn’t be a need to carry any type of self defense tool but that society doesn’t exist and wont until people stop struggling for power and control over others. Should this law pass I will resign from my military position and move my family to a state where the constitution still applies. -“Politicians fix blame. Leaders fix problems. Don’t be a politician.”- M. Lowrie Assault Weapon: A rifle/ carbine capable of selective fire. i.e. semi AND burst and/or full auto.

My Husband purchased a lifetime membership today, I purchased a one year membership.

Every murderous dictator in history has successfully removed weapons from the citizenry BEFORE revealing their true intentions. I just wonder how many would-be dictators DEM or REP have not even had the chance because we have the RIGHT to keep and bear arms. Remember, we also have the right to prevent these bastards from removing our rights that they don't support. We need to remove these people from office. We need a well armed militia to take control of this spiraling cesspool before its too late.

just give us the word and we'll be there!

Kline and Kohl-Welles should be run out of office for even suggesting such legislation. Got a Ruger mini 14 0r 30? It has a deadly barrel shroud in addition to the horrible detachable magazine. It's now an "assault weapon" under the changed definition the leftist extremists from King County are trying to put through the legislature. What's that? The bolt action Coast-to-Coast .410 boltaction shotgun your uncle left you? Oh, my, it has a two round clip. It's an "assault weapon", too. These assholes make me sick.

"Every murderous dictator in history has successfully removed weapons from the citizenry BEFORE revealing their true intentions." Some people would say this sounds a little crazy. I don't own a gun and probably never will. However, the history of dictatorships is the exact reason that I (a progressive, liberal, leftist, socialist) would never support this type of legislation. I don't own a gun by choice, and I support your right to choose as well.

Points are moot. People who can't hear or speak are mute.

Can you give me one good reason why anyone would want an assault weapon?

The point of the matter is that it's not the government's right to decide what I may or may not want. Do you want the government telling you that you can't buy a large van or SUV because you could use that to kill lots of people, perhaps more people than you could kill with a small car? No, that would be absurd. It's just as absurd as the government legislating that law-abiding citizens can't own "assault weapons."

This law would make just about everything an assault weapon. Why don't we just go back to using black powder and muzzle loaders to defend ourselves in a gun fight, while the criminals have a 9mm. You realize that some of us admire firearms, and that not all of us are careless idiots? But the govermnemt wants to take that away. Think of something you love, and have the government put a ban on that!

MrProgressive, Can you give me one good reason to deny LEOs the ability to conduct illegal searches and seizures? I mean, after all, that would reduce crime and make prosecution very easy. Can you give me one reason to allow the accused a fair and speedy trial by 12 of his/her peers? Can you give me one good reason that you should be allowed to speak out on this subject? Can you give me one good reason explaining why you are allowed to freely choose your own religion? The question is not why we, the people, need to justify exercising our constitutionally guaranteed rights, but rather, why the government should be allowed to infringe upon them. Pokie1 Pokie1