FIRST: Yesterday, a Cowlitz County Superior Court judge ruled that Washington’s public safety law to ban the sale of high capacity magazines is unconstitutional.
THEN: We immediately filed an emergency motion to the State Supreme Court to keep this life-saving law in effect. Good news! The court granted our request so the law will stay in place while our case proceeds.
NOW: I will continue to defend this public safety law in court. Banning the sale of high-capacity magazines is essential to addressing mass shootings in our communities. Courts across the country agree — it is also constitutional.
I won’t stop fighting to stop gun violence and protect our communities — no matter how much it angers the gun lobby. But the harder we fight back, the more determined they’ll be to outspend our campaign for Governor. The gun lobby has an ally in our opponent, anti-choice Republican Dave Reichert. Reichert opposes the bans on the sale of high capacity magazines and assault weapons.
The story of this law begins in 2016, when 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 others.
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.
The sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and assault weapons are banned in Washington state — and we’re going to keep it that way.
We will defend the law against every court challenge. We will keep our communities safe, no matter what it takes.
Thank you,
Bob Ferguson
