Washington state approved a package of gun control measures on Tuesday that includes a ban on the sale of military-style semiautomatic weapons, making it the ninth state to join efforts to prevent the distribution of AR-15s and other powerful rifles often used in mass shootings. The new laws put Washington in the ranks of states with the strongest gun control measures in the nation. They include a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases, gun safety training requirements and a provision allowing the state attorney general and consumers to sue gun manufacturers or dealers under public nuisance laws if they negligently allow their guns to fall into the hands of minors or “dangerous individuals. ”
Gun rights proponents swiftly filed a lawsuit to challenge the semi-automatic rifleban, saying it infringed on Second Amendment rights.
Washington is among a series of states, largely led by Democrats, that have advanced gun legislation this year as the nation continues to grapple with repeated mass shootings. Republicans have moved in the opposite direction, with lawmakers in several states introducing legislation to expand the ability to carry concealed weapons without a permit and eliminate such things as gun-free zones, background checks and red-flag laws, which allow the removal of guns from people deemed to be at high risk of violence or self-harm.
About half of all states now allow people to carry a handgun without a permit, up from 16 states in 2020.
AR-15-style rifles have been a particular point of concern among gun control proponents, as they have often been the weapon of choice in mass shootings. The high-capacity firearms can fire rounds at a greater velocity than a handgun, resulting in more severe injuries. In signing the new laws, Governor Jay Inslee said there was no legitimate purpose for such weapons. Other states to have enacted similar laws include California, Hawaii, Illinois and New York.