OLYMPIA, Wash. — A bill that would require a 10-day waiting period and gun safety training for anyone buying a firearm passed off the Senate floor on Friday, April 7.
House Bill 1143 would prevent a gun dealer from transferring any firearm until the purchaser or transferee provides proof of completion of a safety training program, passes a background check and waits 10 days.
In 2018, Washington voters approved Initiative 1639. That set a requirement of a 10-day waiting period and safety training for people purchasing semi-automatic riffles. House Bill 1143 extends similar measures to all firearm purchases.
Assault weapons ban bill expected to come up for debate on Senate floor
A bill that would ban the manufacture and sale of guns defined as assault weapons is expected to be debated on the Senate floor on Saturday.
House Bill 1240, which passed out of the Senate Law and Justice Committee at the end of March, must be passed by the full Senate before heading to Gov. Jay Inslee's desk for final approval. Inslee has said publicly he intends to sign the bill if it does get passed by both chambers.
The bill passed out of the House earlier in March, marking the first time the bill passed off a chamber floor in the Washington Legislature.
The Senate Freedom Caucus released a statement on Thursday vowing that it is mounting a "last-ditch" effort to stop the bill from being passed.
“Right now in the Washington State Senate, it feels a little like the quiet just before the Battle of the Alamo,” said Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview. “We’re standing at the parapet and looking at the forces ranged against us, and let me tell you, our chances do not appear good. What we want everyone to remember is that we fought the good fight to protect the U.S. Constitution, right to the end.”