I attended a House Judiciary Committee hearing this afternoon in Olympia for I-594 (universal bkgd checks in WA), I-591 (gun rights) and HB1561 (change restrictions on short barreled rifles). About ten years ago there was a spat of anti-gun bills scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary, it was the first hearing I ever attended and there were so many in attendance that I had to watch the hearing on a monitor from another room. I signed up to speak but was too far down the list to actually do so. This hearing had over 200 people show and filled two overflow rooms so people could watch.
Open carry is not prohibited in WA, including some parts of the Capitol Campus. There were several people one carrying; I noticed two men with long guns on their chest, one a bolt rifle and the other an AR-15. Both looked like poorly dressed dorks. One old man chastised the bolt gun holder for carrying with a closed bolt; the owner opened it. When the man with the bolt gun was allowed into the hearing room, one of the security guards seemed to be cautioning him. I was on the other side of the glass from them but I could only imagine that the man was being told to behave himself. I think a few security guards followed him into the hearing room.
Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelley were the first to speak for I-594. Mark Kelly spoke in length about gun violence in general as well as his wife's shooting injury. He went on to talk about how much support bkgd checks had. Nothing about the registration scheme or potential ban on private sales. He spoke about how I-594 would protect 2nd amendment rights but did not explain how blocking some private sales to non-felons would do so. In other words I thought he was blowing a lot of smoke, for over eight minutes. You can watch the hearing at this link. http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2014010151
Gabby Giffords made a brief statement after her husband was finished. Her voice was a bit hesitant and her speech of little substance, an appeal to emotion like most of the I-594 supporters.
Brian Judy representing the NRA also spoke about how the shootings previously mentioned involved shooters who obtained their firearms after passing a bkgd check. Judy did mention the registration scheme inherent in I-594 and went on to question WAGR’s claim that 80% of criminals obtain firearms in private transfers.
While I was waiting in the hallway for my turn to speak during the I-594 hearing, Giffords and her group left the room. She was walking without assistance but favoring her right leg, much like I have difficultly with my ankle at times. I had to admire her recovery from the gunshot injury she received three years ago. It’s hard to imagine surviving such a traumatic injury much less recovering enough to walk and speak at a hearing. I hope she has capacity for more recovery. I caught Mark Kelly’s eye and gave him a nod and smile while others in the hallway cheered for them.
I finally got a chance to speak when HB 1561 was heard. Out of the hundreds of people that showed up for the initiatives, only about a dozen seemed to be there for the short barreled rifle bill. Rather sad in my opinion after two years of encouraging people to support the bill. Turns out I’m just as insignificant as HB 1561.
Ranb
Open carry is not prohibited in WA, including some parts of the Capitol Campus. There were several people one carrying; I noticed two men with long guns on their chest, one a bolt rifle and the other an AR-15. Both looked like poorly dressed dorks. One old man chastised the bolt gun holder for carrying with a closed bolt; the owner opened it. When the man with the bolt gun was allowed into the hearing room, one of the security guards seemed to be cautioning him. I was on the other side of the glass from them but I could only imagine that the man was being told to behave himself. I think a few security guards followed him into the hearing room.
Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelley were the first to speak for I-594. Mark Kelly spoke in length about gun violence in general as well as his wife's shooting injury. He went on to talk about how much support bkgd checks had. Nothing about the registration scheme or potential ban on private sales. He spoke about how I-594 would protect 2nd amendment rights but did not explain how blocking some private sales to non-felons would do so. In other words I thought he was blowing a lot of smoke, for over eight minutes. You can watch the hearing at this link. http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2014010151
Gabby Giffords made a brief statement after her husband was finished. Her voice was a bit hesitant and her speech of little substance, an appeal to emotion like most of the I-594 supporters.
Brian Judy representing the NRA also spoke about how the shootings previously mentioned involved shooters who obtained their firearms after passing a bkgd check. Judy did mention the registration scheme inherent in I-594 and went on to question WAGR’s claim that 80% of criminals obtain firearms in private transfers.
While I was waiting in the hallway for my turn to speak during the I-594 hearing, Giffords and her group left the room. She was walking without assistance but favoring her right leg, much like I have difficultly with my ankle at times. I had to admire her recovery from the gunshot injury she received three years ago. It’s hard to imagine surviving such a traumatic injury much less recovering enough to walk and speak at a hearing. I hope she has capacity for more recovery. I caught Mark Kelly’s eye and gave him a nod and smile while others in the hallway cheered for them.
I finally got a chance to speak when HB 1561 was heard. Out of the hundreds of people that showed up for the initiatives, only about a dozen seemed to be there for the short barreled rifle bill. Rather sad in my opinion after two years of encouraging people to support the bill. Turns out I’m just as insignificant as HB 1561.
Ranb
Last edited:
