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 Linda Thomas
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AssaultWeapons.jpg
A large majority of Washington voters support an assault weapons ban, according to a new poll. Gun rights advocates say a poll of attitudes is of little value. (AP file photo)

Survey: Washington residents support assault weapons ban

January 22, 2013 @ 4:43 pm (Updated: 5:43 am - 1/23/13 )

Most Washington residents support stronger background checks for gun purchasers and banning assault weapons, according to a new statewide poll.

Washington Ceasefire, a grass-roots organization working to end gun violence, commissioned the poll which was conducted by a consulting group that represents both Republicans and Democrats.

Overall, the poll found 76 percent of state residents support tighter gun laws.

About 87 percent of Washington residents want better background checks of gun buyers. That means requiring background checks for all firearm purchases, even from private dealers at gun shows.

When it comes to assault weapons, 66 percent support a ban on semi-automatic weapons.

Washington Ceasefire's Ralph Fascitelli says the poll suggests voters are "far ahead of state elected officials who have passed only one gun reform so far in this century, and seems to be struggling to reach a consensus in the current session, even in the wake of Sandy Hook and other recent mass shooting incidents such as Cafe Racer."

Gun rights activists say there is little value in a poll of attitudes.

"Remember, these are the guys who had the poll back in 1997 that said they were going to win Initiative 676, and they lost nearly 3 to 1," says Dave Workman, communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and a former member of the NRA Board of Directors.

Initiative 676, would have required that trigger locks to be sold with handguns, along with requiring handgun owners to take an eight-hour safety training course.

"The firearms community isn't opposed to background checks," Workman tells me, "but they must be immediate, and they can't involve the creation of a de facto gun owner registry."

The poll consisted of 600 phone interviews, and has an error margin of plus or minus 4.1 percent.

It also found "widespread confusion" about what gun laws we have in place at present.

For example, over 40 percent of voters and gun owners alike believe Washington already bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazine clips. More than 70 percent believe every gun purchase requires a background check.

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (130)


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  • froggy wrote...
    What the heck!
    January 23, 2013 9:00 am
    From reading Linda's report, it appears to me that she just reported what happened. I didn't read any personal bias in it. Talk about shooting the messenger. Geez.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Bias is not only how the story is reported...
    January 23, 2013 9:25 am
    But what stories are reported.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    Survey: Washington residents prefer beef over pork
    January 23, 2013 9:38 am
    According to a survey from the WA State Cattle Rancher Association.....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Survey says.......
    January 23, 2013 9:39 am
    Liberal's LOVE pols to try to "shape" public opinion.Liberal's LOVE push pols.. ..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push_poll
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Lee76 wrote...
    Mis-information from a Partial Survey
    January 23, 2013 9:44 am
    Hi Linda, Normally I choose not to comment on articles and I actually believe that KIRO and MY Northwest.com try pretty hard to get the accurate facts before reporting. In the case of the "Statewide" poll, however it is only accurate if ALL the samples come from more than a small selected area and are in fact representative of the entire State. I am a certified crime analyst and I know that such minimal numbers from a "Statewide" poll are highly likely to be so skewed as to be 100% inaccurate based upon the localities chosen to make the calls, the time of day the calls were made, the demographics of the selected 600 as well as the political leanings of those chosen. In order to properly conduct a poll regarding an issue such as this a percentage closur to 10% of the population would need to be conducted, The poll would be required to be designed and reviewed by multiple analysts before it ever got out of the analyst office in order to ensure it is not skewed in design and questions and then it would be required to have 3rd or 4th party individuals from a broad selection of regions across the State actually conduct the poll in a blind manner so as to not be allowed to interpret the data and change it to meet their perceptions. Instead of jumping up and down about where the poll may have been conducted, I ask instead that all of the cities, and regions within the State where the poll was actually given be identified publicly, (not individuals) that the questionnaire and possible responses on the questionnaire be fully publicized. Lets take an in depth look at the actual value of the poll and see what it really was about. I know how easy it is to design a poll that will measure exactly what you want it to say. It occurs often in polling that polls are inadvertently or intentionally designed to come to a pre-disposed position. Are you willing to dig into this "poll" and actually see if the Pollsters are willing to give up the data and make it public? if they are not, then the poll itself is proven to be invalid. A poll is only as good as the design, including where, when and to whom it is given. 600 individuals in a State as large as Washington cannot be as valid as claimed. Thanks for what you do. I am confident that if you ask for all the data and the design of the poll, the data will be withheld and the group, pollster, or analysts will refuse because a poll that small cannot represent a population as divers as Washington's.
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  • mikeyboy wrote...
    survey
    January 23, 2013 10:02 am
    I don;t believe it!!I have 100s of friends on facebook and have never heard from one person in the state of washington that has taken your so called survey on banning assult weapons.It's nothing but liberal media hoopla.You should all be ashamed of yourselves!!!
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  • Zoeller wrote...
    I just conducted a random survey of ten coworkers here in King County -
    January 23, 2013 10:03 am
    When it comes to assault weapon bans - (Nine) Responded that they should not be a banned and only (One) responded undecided. Using cease fires logic I would guess that this means 90% of WA. State residents are against an assault weapons ban.
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  • tlmbrt wrote...
    Typical clueless
    January 23, 2013 10:39 am
    Washington liberals. This is all part of a bigger plan to destroy our Second Amendment rights and take away ALL guns. What they call an "assault rifle" is anything that looks scary to them. Banning one type of gun will DO NOTHING to stop criminals and the mentally unbalanced from killing. They DON'T CARE about laws. They will just find a different weapon or a different means. Why is it that liberals always pat themselves on the back and think that just by passing a new law the problem is solved and people will automatically obey it? When referring to horrendous acts like Sandy Hook, they loves to say they can "prevent anything like this from ever happening again". I so HATE that phrase! There is NO WAY we can prevent future bad acts. It WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, and no amount of laws will stop it.
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  • uralnutjobs wrote...
    600 polled?
    January 23, 2013 10:40 am
    where?
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  • Seattle Dad wrote...
    No news here
    January 23, 2013 10:51 am
    A special interest group presents a question expected to present results in a poll that supports their position. You could do a service and explain what an assault weapon is. They're also considered defense weapons. I would like to educate the public on specifics and not emotionally charged rhetoric. I expect the press has a responsibility to present both sides of an issue to inform the public. I don't see that here.
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  • irony wrote...
    600 radically liberal phone interviews discovered
    January 23, 2013 10:52 am
    that the entire state is in favor of ... are you kidding me, now many people are in the puget sound area and you only called 600. 1 billionth of the state population is an accurate poll.
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