Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2019)
Page 8 The Skanner Portland & Seattle February 13, 2019 News Some Washington Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce New Gun Laws By Nicholas K. Geranios Associated Press SPOKANE, Wash. — Sheriffs in a dozen Wash- ington counties say they won’t enforce the state’s sweeping new restric- tions on semi-automatic rifles until the courts decide whether they are constitutional. A statewide initiative approved by voters in November raised the minimum age for buy- ing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, required buyers to first pass a fire- arms safety course and added expanded back- ground checks and gun storage requirements, among other things. It was among the most com- prehensive of a string of state-level gun-control measures enacted in the U.S. after last year’s shooting at a Florida high school. The National Rifle As- sociation and the Second Amendment Foundation have filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging the initiative is unconstitu- tional. They say its pur- chasing requirements violate the right to bear arms and stray into the regulation of interstate commerce, which is the province of the federal government. “ Wahkiakum, Mason and Klickitat — along with the police chief of the small town of Republic, have said they will not enforce the new law until the issues are decided by the courts. “I swore an oath to de- fend our citizens and their constitutionally protected rights,” Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones said. “I do not be- lieve the popular vote I swore an oath to defend our citizens and their consti- tutionally protected rights. I do not believe the popular vote overrules that Sheriffs in 12 most- ly rural, conservative counties — Grant, Lin- coln, Okanogan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Benton, Pa- cific, Stevens, Yakima, overrules that.” Initiative supporters say they are disappoint- ed but noted the sheriffs have no role in enforc- ing the new restrictions AP PHOTO/ELAINE THOMPSON, FILE Statewide initiative approved last fall raised the minimum age for semi-automatic rifles, required safety course and expanded background check and storage requirements In this photo taken Oct. 2, 2018, semi-automatic rifles fill a wall at a gun shop in Lynnwood, Wash. A dozen county sheriffs in Washington state are refusing to enforce restrictions on semi-automatic rifles that voters approved in November. They say the new law might be unconstitutional, and they’re waiting for the courts to weigh in. until July 1, when the expanded background checks take effect. The provision brings vetting for semi-automatic rifle and other gun purchases in line with the process for buying pistols. “The political grand- standing is dishearten- ing,” said Renee Hopkins, chief executive of the Al- liance for Gun Respon- sibility, which pushed the initiative. “If they do not (run the background checks), we will have a huge problem.” Initiative 1639 was passed by about 60 per- cent of Washington vot- ers nine months after a gunman opened fire at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Parkland shoot- ing, which left 17 dead, fueled a shift in the coun- try’s political landscape regarding gun control. Other state-level mea- sures included requiring waiting periods and ban- ning high-capacity mag- azines. Nine states have approved laws that allow the temporary confis- cation of weapons from people deemed a safety risk, bringing the total to 14 nationwide. Several more are likely to follow in the coming months. At the federal level, for the first time in mod- ern history, gun-control groups outspent the NRA on the 2018 midterm elections. President Don- ald Trump directed the Justice Department to issue regulations to ban so-called bump stocks. And the new Democrat- ic majority in the House last week held its first hearing on gun control in a decade. “For far too long, Re- publicans in Congress have offered moments of silence instead of action in the wake of gun trag- edies. That era is over,” Democratic Rep. Jerr- old Nadler of New York said as he convened the House Judiciary Commit- tee hearing on Wednes- day. Washington’s initiative targeted semi-automat- ic assault rifles like the AR-15 used in the Florida shooting and other re- cent high-profile attacks. Such rifles fire only once for each pull of the trig- ger but automatically eject and rechamber a new round after each shot. Grant County’s sher- iff said many residents in his part of the state, known for its vast pota- to farms, are strong sup- porters of gun rights. They “have a right to have this challenge and See GUNS on page 11 A career you can be proud of. Being a carpenter isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life. We’re devoted to strengthening the lives of our members with steady work, wealth and personal growth. We take a stand for our members and all workers. We work together to lead the building industry in safety, training and compensation. We create rich lives for our members and partners. To learn more about becoming a union carpenter, go to NWCarpenters.org. PORTLAND: 1636 East Burnside, Portland, OR 97214 | 503.261.1862 HEADQUARTERS: 25120 Pacific Hwy S, #200, Kent, WA 98032 | 253.954.8800 NWCarpenters.org More than 20,000 members in the Pacific Northwest.