Washington becomes the fourth state to ban bump stocks

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A controversial gun control bill to ban bump stocks was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee.

SB 5922 passed both chambers in the Washington state legislature by slim margins and largely along party lines. The vote was 29-20 in the Senate and 56-41 in the House of Representatives. 

Gov. Inslee signed the bill on Tuesday, March 6. 

Starting July 1, 2018, bump stocks will be illegal to manufacture or sell and starting July 1, 2019 the accessory will be illegal to possess. The bill also allows police officers to seize the weapons and if found, possession or use of a bump stock qualifies as a felony. 

The Senate approved a House amendment that requires the Washington State Patrol to administer a buy-back program from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. Those who currently own bump stocks can bring the device to facilities throughout the state and receive $150 for them. 

“This measure is just one more modest step to prevent gun violence,” Inslee said, calling for more action on gun regulations. 

Bump stocks became a topic of national conversation after a shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas in October 2017. The shooter reportedly used a bump stock, a device that attaches to a semi-automatic rifle increasing its firing rate. 

Jim and Ann Marie Parsons, a couple who lost their daughter Carrie in the shooting, stood at Inslee’s side as he signed the bill. 



California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey have already banned bump stocks. Lawmakers have introduced 71 bump stock bills in 32 states to strengthen restrictions on bump stocks and related trigger activator devices, according to Giffords Law Center. 

Washington students urge lawmakers to pass gun regulations 

More than 100 students from Seattle and Olympia area high schools rallied at the Capitol building in Olympia in support of gun legislation. 

They partnered with the Alliance for Gun Responsibility and on Tuesday, March 6 called on lawmakers to pass SB 6620 sponsored by Senator David Frockt, D-Seattle. The bill would increase the legal age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21. It also enhances background checks for assault rifles and creates a reporting program in schools to students can more easily report suspicious behavior. The bill is on the Senate floor calendar but has not yet received a vote.

“The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was the breaking point for many of us,” Anna Justen, a junior at Ingraham High School said. “I see pictures of the victims and all I can see are my friends, my little sister, or myself.”