Resolution 2018 - 04

Urging support for responsible gun legislation

WHEREAS Open Carry is defined as the ability to carry a firearm on one's person in public; and

WHEREAS Open Carry is lawful in Washington without any permit; and

WHEREAS RCW 9.41.050 is the primary law which affects gun carrying on a day-to-day basis. This law makes it unlawful for one to conceal a pistol without a concealed pistol license (CPL), and also makes it unlawful for one to carry a loaded pistol in any vehicle, whether it be openly carried or concealed carried unless a person has a valid CPL; and

WHEREAS Open Carry of a loaded long gun is illegal in WA, regardless of CPL possession; and

WHEREAS anti-gun legislators, armed with the support from AG Ferguson introduced two gun-control bills during the 2017 session; Senate Bill 5050 and House Bill 1387, which would have imposed a registration-licensing system for these so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines”. Washington legislators failed to bring either of these bills out of committee; and

WHEREAS there have been six mass shootings in Washington over the last few years, according to the Gun Violence Archive including the death of 5 students including the shooter at Marysville Pilchuck High School on 10/24/14 bringing Washington's totals for 2014-2018 to 3,234 incidents involving guns with 791 deaths; and

WHEREAS the October 1, 2017 mass shooting on a crowd of concert goers in Las Vegas left 58 people dead and 546 injured and marked the 273rd mass shooting in the U.S. in 275 days in 2017 according to the Gun Violence Archives; and

WHEREAS the shooting event that took place on December 14, 2012 where the fatal shooting of (20) children between six and seven years of age as well as (6) adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut still failed to bring about any “sensible” gun legislation; and

WHEREAS the NRA and 2nd Amendment supporters oppose any gun regulation and have lobbied for legislation which has been filed as HB 2306. Republican Representative Van Werven of the 42nd LD and Democratic Representative Blake from the 19th LD are the prime sponsors. HB 2306 would allow veterans to carry concealed pistols onto community colleges campuses which includes all land and buildings owned, leased, or operated by a community college and would add a new section to the chapter 28B.50 RCW. HB 2306 fails to address why any gun on campus makes students, faculty or workers safer; and

WHEREAS HB 2293 sponsored by Democratic Representative Kagi which would restrict firearms and dangerous weapons in early learning facilities; and

WHEREAS HB 5992, sponsored by Senators Van De Wege, Zeiger, Dhingra, Fain, Pedersen, Liias, and Nelson, has been pre-filed for the 2018 legislative session. HB 5992 would prohibit a “trigger modification device” which is designed to accelerate the rate of fire of a firearm;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Thirty-Second Legislative District Democrats urge other LD's CD's and State Elected Officials to join us to bring “Responsible Gun Ownership” front and center during the 2018 legislative session to include legislation but not limited to legislation that would restrict firearms and dangerous weapons in early learning facilities and make it illegal in WA State to possess, use, or manufacture “trigger modification devices”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Thirty-Second Legislative Districts urges other LDs, CD and State Elected Officials to oppose legislation that would expand “open carry” laws in WA State including allowing concealed pistols on community college campuses; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Thirty-Second Legislative District asks the Chair of the District to send this resolution to the State Central Committee Meeting for Consideration at their next meeting.

The Gun Violence Archive defines mass shootings on the numeric value of 4 or more shot or killed, not including the shooter.

Adopted by the 32nd Legislative Democratic Organization on January 10, 2018.
Carin Chase, Chair