In 2016, a gunman opened fire at a house party of young people in Mukilteo. Using a military-style assault rifle and a high-capacity magazine, the shooter took the lives of three individuals and injured one other.
I met with parents impacted by this tragedy and promised I would do everything I could to honor their loved ones with meaningful gun safety reform.
I proposed two bills: a ban on the sale of assault weapons and a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines. These proposals went nowhere for years—but we did not quit. We persisted until these bills finally became law over the last two legislative sessions.
Thanks to these efforts, the sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and assault weapons are now banned in Washington state.
These laws are important for the safety of our communities—and they need to be enforced. Not surprisingly, almost every business does the right thing and follows the law. But if they fail to comply, they must be held accountable.
My investigation team discovered that Federal Way Discount Guns continued to sell thousands of high-capacity magazines after the law went into effect. They even continued selling them after we filed our lawsuit.
As a result of our lawsuit, Federal Way Discount Guns must pay $3 million for flagrantly violating these important laws.1 This money will go to local law enforcement efforts to combat gun violence.
Getting these common-sense gun laws passed wasn’t easy. I wasn’t afraid to take on the gun lobby. And I had grassroots support from wonderful organizations like Grandmothers Against Gun Violence and Ceasefire who stood with me throughout this process. As Governor, I will continue to bring together stakeholders and partners.
If you support these efforts and want to help my campaign, here are a few things you can do:
Thank you,
Bob Ferguson
P.S. Bob Ferguson for Governor is subject to the legislative session freeze, which means that we legally cannot accept donations until early March.
