- Seattle Times, 4/28/25
John,
Donald Trump may be gutting efforts to halt gun violence at the federal level. But today, we have good news: Washington just passed House Bill 1163 — a lifesaving permit-to-purchase law, now headed to the governor’s desk for signature — and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility helped make it happen.
This is commonsense, evidence-based policy at work. Permit-to-purchase laws save lives by requiring rigorous, fingerprint-based background checks and safety training before someone can buy a gun — closing dangerous gaps that criminals exploit. Research shows these laws lower gun trafficking, reduce firearm suicides and homicides, and even decrease fatal mass shootings.
This victory didn’t happen overnight. It happened because people like you refused to give up. It happened state by state, bill by bill — and we’re just getting started.
Can you chip in today to help us continue this momentum nationwide? Every dollar helps pass more laws like this and saves more lives.
Permit-to-purchase laws work. They make it harder for dangerous individuals to access firearms while ensuring responsible gun ownership — just like we require driver’s licenses for road safety. And despite what critics say, this small, reasonable cost pales in comparison to the $10.5 billion a year gun violence costs Washington.
The gun lobby likes to claim that these commonsense laws are too burdensome. But the reality is, 72% of Americans — including 64% of gun owners — support them. Even more among those who live in states with permit laws. We know this works. We know it saves lives. We just need the resources to keep fighting.
With your support, we can pass more laws like HB 1163. We can protect more communities. We can save more lives.
State by state. Bill by bill. Life by life.
Will you join us in building a safer future? Chip in to fuel our work >>
Thank you for standing with us in this fight.
The Alliance
