Prior to July 1, 1994 short barreled shotguns (SBS) and short barreled rifles (SBR) were legal for WA residents to possess; there were no state restrictions. BATFE authorization is required for anyone to possess them but the application is a routine matter and never denied to anyone filling out the application properly.
In 1994 when the feds were working on their own crime bill and AWB, Washington State was doing the same with a smaller 97 page bill called the Youth Violence Act. House Bill 2319-1994 contained an AWB but a large number of people showed up to voice their opposition; it was removed. Instead legislators decided to prohibit future possession of SBR and SBS by law abiding residents and restrict when the police could have them. The change was not intended to reduce or prevent crime; it was according to one of the bill authors, “to reduce calls for major restrictions”.
After the Democrats successfully introduced and passed (with the help of some Republicans) a bill to allow registered silencer use by civilians and police in 2011, they moved on to registered SBS and SBR. I wrote public disclosure requests in an attempt to determine how often these firearms were used by criminals. I was unable to find any evidence that registered SBS or SBR were ever used by criminals in WA, but the amount of data I received was statistically irrelevant when it came to determining how often contraband sawed off shotguns/rifles were used by criminals or confiscated by the police.
The SBS/SBR bills (2098/2099) died several times in committee and were re-introduced last year as an SBR bill only; HB 1561. The prime sponsor and most of the co-sponsors were Democrats until some Republicans jumped on the bandwagon. The police supported the bill and 7 of the 13 House Judiciary Committee members were co-sponsors. I thought it was a sure win, but then Sandy Hook happened. That tragedy resulted in re-introduction of an old loser of an AWB bill (SB 5737) which would violate the 4th amendment rights of gun owners (according to the liberal Seattle Times) and HB 1588, a flawed bill (so says the author) that would potentially eliminate some private sales by law abiding gun owners. The House Judiciary Chair told me he would not give the SBR bill a hearing in 2013 or 2014. He did recommend that I ask a Senator to sponsor a bill which he might give a hearing if it reached the House.
I asked Senator Hatfield (D) to sponsor an SBR bill; he did. I asked Senator Sheldon (D) to co-sponsor and he also agreed. Only one other Senator got onboard; Braun (R). Meanwhile the former House Judiciary Chair, Jamie Pedersen, was appointed to the Senate to replace Senator (4th amendment rights are not for gun owners) Murray who won the election for Seattle mayor. Pedersen’s chair on the Judiciary was replaced by an allegedly anti-gun Representative Laurie Jinkins (D). I met with Jinkins; she was not inclined to give the SBR bill a hearing in committee as she was reluctant to ease any firearm restrictions in the state, but was reconsidering based upon our meeting. She eventually gave the SBR bill a public hearing but then killed it by not giving it an executive hearing.
This left the Senate version of the bill, SB 5956. Senator Padden (R) scheduled the bill for an executive hearing where I thought former committee chair Senator Kline (AWB sponsor) and Senator Pedersen would vote against; it got a unanimous pass recommendation. The SBR bill went on to the Rules Committee where it was pulled to the yellow sheet for a vote by Sheldon (D). On 2/18 the bill passed in the Democrat controlled Senate 47-0-2.
For a while it appeared that Judiciary Chair Jinkins was holding the SBR bill hostage to ensure HB 1840, a domestic violence bill, was passed. As far as I know a deal was made and both bills are now scheduled for hearings this week right before the cut-off.
If the gun control laws in WA keep improving, I might decide to stay here after I retire in 2023. :)
Ranb
In 1994 when the feds were working on their own crime bill and AWB, Washington State was doing the same with a smaller 97 page bill called the Youth Violence Act. House Bill 2319-1994 contained an AWB but a large number of people showed up to voice their opposition; it was removed. Instead legislators decided to prohibit future possession of SBR and SBS by law abiding residents and restrict when the police could have them. The change was not intended to reduce or prevent crime; it was according to one of the bill authors, “to reduce calls for major restrictions”.
After the Democrats successfully introduced and passed (with the help of some Republicans) a bill to allow registered silencer use by civilians and police in 2011, they moved on to registered SBS and SBR. I wrote public disclosure requests in an attempt to determine how often these firearms were used by criminals. I was unable to find any evidence that registered SBS or SBR were ever used by criminals in WA, but the amount of data I received was statistically irrelevant when it came to determining how often contraband sawed off shotguns/rifles were used by criminals or confiscated by the police.
The SBS/SBR bills (2098/2099) died several times in committee and were re-introduced last year as an SBR bill only; HB 1561. The prime sponsor and most of the co-sponsors were Democrats until some Republicans jumped on the bandwagon. The police supported the bill and 7 of the 13 House Judiciary Committee members were co-sponsors. I thought it was a sure win, but then Sandy Hook happened. That tragedy resulted in re-introduction of an old loser of an AWB bill (SB 5737) which would violate the 4th amendment rights of gun owners (according to the liberal Seattle Times) and HB 1588, a flawed bill (so says the author) that would potentially eliminate some private sales by law abiding gun owners. The House Judiciary Chair told me he would not give the SBR bill a hearing in 2013 or 2014. He did recommend that I ask a Senator to sponsor a bill which he might give a hearing if it reached the House.
I asked Senator Hatfield (D) to sponsor an SBR bill; he did. I asked Senator Sheldon (D) to co-sponsor and he also agreed. Only one other Senator got onboard; Braun (R). Meanwhile the former House Judiciary Chair, Jamie Pedersen, was appointed to the Senate to replace Senator (4th amendment rights are not for gun owners) Murray who won the election for Seattle mayor. Pedersen’s chair on the Judiciary was replaced by an allegedly anti-gun Representative Laurie Jinkins (D). I met with Jinkins; she was not inclined to give the SBR bill a hearing in committee as she was reluctant to ease any firearm restrictions in the state, but was reconsidering based upon our meeting. She eventually gave the SBR bill a public hearing but then killed it by not giving it an executive hearing.
This left the Senate version of the bill, SB 5956. Senator Padden (R) scheduled the bill for an executive hearing where I thought former committee chair Senator Kline (AWB sponsor) and Senator Pedersen would vote against; it got a unanimous pass recommendation. The SBR bill went on to the Rules Committee where it was pulled to the yellow sheet for a vote by Sheldon (D). On 2/18 the bill passed in the Democrat controlled Senate 47-0-2.
For a while it appeared that Judiciary Chair Jinkins was holding the SBR bill hostage to ensure HB 1840, a domestic violence bill, was passed. As far as I know a deal was made and both bills are now scheduled for hearings this week right before the cut-off.
If the gun control laws in WA keep improving, I might decide to stay here after I retire in 2023. :)
Ranb
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