In the battle between those who safeguard the Second Amendment and those determined to erode it, Tuesday provided a dramatic contrast with the governor of one state signing legislation to ban firearms and the governor of another state signing a bill to allow permitless concealed carry by citizens in his state.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat and perennial anti-gunner, signed a trio of gun control bills:
SHB 1240 – Banning the future sale, manufacture or import of so-called “assault weapons.”
E2SHB 1143 – Requiring proof of safety training to buy a gun, and a 10-day waiting period to take delivery.
SSB 5078 – Allowing liability lawsuits against the firearms industry for crimes committed by people using guns.
Three lawsuits were promptly filed, as earlier reported by TGM, including two federal challenges, by the Second Amendment Foundation and its partners, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The third lawsuit was filed in state court, in Grant County, by a conservative group called the Silent Majority Foundation.
Meanwhile, in Nebraska on the same day, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen inked Legislative Bill 77, making the Cornhusker State the 27th to adopt permitless carry, generically called “Constitutional Carry.” Now, more than half of all the states—the ones controlled by Republicans—allow citizens to be armed without needing a license or permit.
According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Pillen called it “a great day for our Constitution.”
No two events could more dramatically illustrate the differences between Democrats and Republicans where Second Amendment rights are concerned.
Inslee told reporters at his bill signing ceremony, “No one needs an AR-15 to protect your family. You only need it to kill other families.”
Pillen told Fox News Digital, “Signing this bill upholds the promise I made to voters to protect our constitutional rights and promote commonsense, conservative values.”
https://twitter.com/HT_GunWriter/status/1650949700554485777?s=20
The National Rifle Association, which supported the Nebraska legislation, hailed Pillen’s action, crediting Sen. Tom Brewer for authoring the pro-rights bill. The new law becomes effective 90 days after the legislative session ends, which is scheduled for June 9, NRA said in a press release.
“This is a significant victory for gun rights advocates, and we are proud to have been a part of this effort to protect our Second Amendment rights,” the NRA said in a prepared statement.
Surprisingly, NRA was not among the firearms groups taking swift legal action in Washington State. Joining SAF in its lawsuit are the Firearms Policy Coalition, Sporting Systems, a Hazel Dell retailer, and three private citizens, Brett Bass, Douglas Mitchell and Lawrence Hartford, for whom the case is named. They are represented by Seattle attorney Joel Ard.
Alarms were raised among some Evergreen State gun rights activists when the state Department of Enterprise Services (DES) posted a message that the Legislative Building would be closed Tuesday morning during the bill signing ceremonies “out of an abundance of caution.”
Linda Kent at DES explained to TGM that the building is typically closed during such events. She said there were a few protesters outside of the Capitol building. Bill signing ceremonies are not open to the public, and attendance is by invitation only.
The difference between the way two different governors, from two different political parties, looks at Second Amendment rights is staggering. On the coast, gun bans and other restrictions on gun owners seem acceptable, while in the Heartland, legislation expanding the rights of law-abiding citizens are approved. This contrast underscores observations that the nation’s political chasm regarding guns and the Second Amendment is widening.
